
Class __J 

Book i 

Copyright N [_ 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSZC 



DEDICATION 



TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE 

OF THE 

l'HE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

WITH THE HOPE 

THAT THEY WILL IMPROVE UPON THE PAST 

AVOID ITS ERRORS 

AND 

AS THE GUARDIANS OF THEIR COUNTRY 

WILL MAKE ITS HISTORY FAIRER AND BRIGHTER 

FOR THE NEXT GENERATION 

THIS VOLUME 

IS DEDICATED 

WITH THE LOVE AND CONFIDENCE OF 

THE AUTHOR 



THE 

Story of our Nation 

FROM THE 

Earliest Discoveries to the Present Time 

INCLUDING 

A COMPLETE ACCOUNT OF THE NORSEMEN; THE MOUND-BUILDERS ; 
VOYAGES OF COLUMBUS AND OTHER EXPLORERS; ADVEN- 
TURES AND DISCOVERIES; HARDSHIPS OF EARLY 
SETTLERS; FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS 

Struggle for Liberty in the Revolution 

THE SECOND WAR WITH ENGLAND; PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT 

OF THE UNITED STATES; THE GREAT CIVIL WAR; THE 

WAR WITH SPAIN AND THE PHILIPPINE INSURGENTS; 

AND ALL THE LATEST EVENTS IN 

AMERICAN HISTORY 

TOGETHER WITH 

A GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF PORTO RICO, CUBA. 
HAWAII AND THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 

" God give us men, for times like these demand 
Great hearts, strong minds, true faith and ready hands." 

By ELLA HINES STRATTON 

Author of "The Lives of Our Presidents" 

TO WHICH IS ADDED A 

PULL DESCRIPTION OF THE MANNERS, CUSTOMS, HABITS AND TRAITS 
OF THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA 

Superbly Embellished with Phototype and Wood Engravings 



NATIONAL PUBLISHING CO. 
239 to 24-3 So. American St. 

PHILADELPHIA. I'A. 



IBRARY OF 
CONGRESS. 
Two Cowts Received 

1902 

Copyright entry 
fe-/q »t- 
CLASS CUXXc No. 

3 / :D i I 
COPY B 



■=NTERFD AOCOROINf TO ACT OF CONGRESS. IK THE YEAR 1902, DY 

0. Z. HOWElu 

II* THfc OFFICE OF JHE L.BRARIAN OF CONGRESS, AT WASHINGTON, D. C, U E. 



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3 



PREFACE. 

No apology is needed in presenting another history of the United States 
to the rising generation of our glorious country. No other story is so 
inspiring and thrilling as that of our own land, from its discovery to the 
present time. The account of our marvelous progress in civilization, 
in the arts, in education and in power should be read and re-read to be 
understood and appreciated. 

This work begins with the fascinating recital of the Norse discover- 
ies (more like fable than reality), those wild, impetuous Vikings of old, 
who were among the first to dare the perils of unknown seas, and carry 
their conquering hordes into other lands. It gives the authentic history, 
as well as some of the legends, of those first bold explorers. 

It tells of the mysterious mound builders, whose origin, race, and 
history has so long been a puzzle to scientists ; of the daring cliff 
dwellers, whose inaccessible, cave-like homes were made beside the aeries 
of the majestic eagle, the national bird of our land ; of Columbus, the 
resolute hero, who discovered a new world in the face of great obstacles, 
and opened the pathway of American civilization ; of the red patriots, 
who died defending their homes from the relentless grasp of the invader. 

Then came the adventurous Spaniards, searching for gold and the 
fountain of youth, and, by accident rather than by design, making dis- 
coveries which thrilled the old world with wonder and incredulity. 

The crack of the white settlers' musket is heard in the wilderness, 
and a heroic vanguard of civilization and a new nation is seen marching 
onward in search of home, of county, of peace and of freedom from 
oppression. 

The gallant little Mayflower, bringing the foundation of a mighty 
nation, anchors at last beside the ' ' wild New England shore.'' The same 
hand which guided that staunch little vessel to that rocky, snow-bound 
coast might have led it to the golden strands of California, but rocks are 
more substantial than golden nuggets, and the future of the greatest, 



G PREFACE. 

richest, and most powerful nation on earth demanded a race of stern, 
self-sacrificing men to build it up. 

From the beginning the bright star of progress never set, and the 
growing nation moved steadily onward and upward, through wars and 
desolations to the first place among the nations. 

The wars with the red men are recorded in blood and massacres, and 
will teach this generation at what a sacrifice and cost our liberties, our 
comforts and our rare priveleges were purchased. 

We can almost hear the joyful clang of the old Liberty Bell, as it 
rang out our Independence, so loudly and clearly, that the pulsing echo 
swept around the whole world, telling of the birth of a new nation. 

A little army, fired with even more than Spartan heroism, boldly 
struck for Liberty and freedom of thought and action, and the recital of 
that "time which tried men's souls," always quickens the heart-beats, 
and sends the triumphant blood tingling through every vein of the true 
patriot. 

This book tells the story of the great Civil War, the greatest strug- 
gle on record, when brother met brother upon the field of battle, and the 
cloud of desolation covered our land. It is followed by a full history of 
our war with Spain, of our Philippine and Hawaiian possessions. 

All of the principal events of our history are accurately traced 
down to the present day, telling of that dark time when the dastardly assas- 
sin's bullet ended the life of President McKinley, and the world paused 
with a gasp of horror and ready sympathy. 

The work is in conversational form, being comprised by questions 
and answers, a manner of recital as new as it is interesting to young 
people. The historical facts are absolutely reliable, as none were 
admitted unless supported by the best authority. 

Added to all this is the intensely interesting account of the man- 
ners, the habits, the customs, and the traits of the Indian tribes of 
North America. The book should be placed in the hands of ever}- child 
in the land, and it is especially adapted for supplementary reading in 
the schools. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

The Prize Offer.— Cave aud Cliff Dwellings.-- Mound Builders.— The 
Lost Atlantis. — The American Indian. — Why so Called. — In- 
dian Schools. — Indian Characteristics. — Story of Hatuey. — How 
the Indians Found Out that the Spaniards were Not Gods. — 
What They Thought of Gun-powder. — Traditions. — Tribes. — 
Mexican Indians. — " Fire-water." 17 

CHAPTER II.— 864-1506. 

Discovery of Iceland. — Settlement. — Greenland. — Norsemen. — Dis- 
covery of America. — Vineland. — Claims of Other Nations 
Regarding the Discovery of America. — Columbus. — W r here 
Born. — How He Came to Try a Voyage of Discovery. — 
Treachery of King John II. — Rebellious Crew. — Laud Discov- 
ered. — Was Friday an Unlucky Day. — Superstitions. — Baked 
Beans. — Story of an Egg. — Other Voyages. — Death of Isabella. 32 

CHAPTER III.— 1497-1590. 

Cabot. — Vasco de Gama. — Amerigo Vespucci. — Not the First Discov- 
erer. — Gasper Cortereal. — Kidnapping the Indians for Slaves. — 
Ponce de Leon. — The Spring of Youth. — Vasco Numez de 
Balboa- — Discovery of the Pacific Ocean. — Cortez and Pizarro. — 
Magellan. — His Discoyeries and Death. — Lucas Vasquez de 
Ayllon. — Stephen Gomez. — Narvaez. — Cartier. — Alarcom. — 
Diaz. — Fernando de Soto. — Cruelty to Indians. — Discovery of 
Mississippi River. — Willoughby. — Coligny. — Ribault. — Melen- 
dez. — Founding of St. Augustine. — Gourgnes. — Frobisher. — 
Drake. — Sir Humphrey Gilbert. — Sir Walter Raleigh 48 

CHAPTER IV.— 1602-1620. 

Club Badges. — Gosnold. — First Direct Route to America. — London 
and Plymouth Companies. — Chamberlain. — First Permanent 
French Settlement. — Quebec. — George Popham. — Raleigh Gil- 
bert.— First Permanent English Settlement. — John Smith. — Po- 



8 CONTENTS. 

cahontas. — Her Real Name. — Her Marriage. — Henry Hudson. — 
Dutch Settlements. — Price Paid for New York. — First Repre- 
sentative Congress. — NegroSlavery. — Landingof the Pilgrims. — 
Character of the Pilgrims. — Story of the Moose-trap. — Indian 
Storehouses. — Attacked by the Indians 63 

CHAPTER V. 1620-1621. 

Trip to Plymouth, Mass. — New Friends. — Pilgrim Wharf. — Ply- 
mouth Rock. — Cole's Hill. — Town Brook. — Pilgrim Spring. — 
Training Green. — Watson's Hill. — Burial Hill. — Pilgrim Hall. — 
General Hancock's Clock. — Peregrine White's Cradle. — John 
Alden's Bible. — Sword of Miles Standish. — Governor Winslow's 
Chair. — National Monument. — Old Houses. — First Constitution 
of New England. — Miles Standish. — Second Marriage. — Home. — 
Monument.— Samoset. — Captain Hunt. — Squanto. — Massasoit. — 
Treaty. — Quadequinto. — Hobbomak. — Corbitant. — Canonicus. — 
Massasoit's Sickness. — Queer Broth. — Why the Pilgrims 
Landed on the Rock-bonnd Coast of New England Rather than 
the Gold-fretted Coast of California. — First Thanksgiving jj 

CHAPTER VL— 1622-1665. 

Ferdinand Gorges.— John Mason. — Maine and New Hampshire. 
Portsmouth. — Dover. — First Indian War. — Jamestown Saved. 
Story of the War. — Settlement of New York. — Description of 
Dutch Houses. — Ouincv. — Boston. — Salem. — First Church of 
Boston. — Roger Williams. — Providence Founded. — Indian 
Friendship. — Lord Baltimore. — Wouter Van Twiller. — Concord 
Founded. — Anne Hutchinson. — Schools. — Harvard College. 
Pequod War. — Extermination of the Tribe. — New Sweden. 
Jesuits. — First Printing Press in America. — Another Indian 
War. — Cruelty to Quakers. — Missionaries. — Pine Tree Shil- 
lings. — A Bride's Dowry 94 

CHAPTER VII.— 1665-1699. 

Indian War in Maryland.— Nathan Bacon. — King Philip's War. 
Brass Kettle Stxny. — Saved by a Jack-o-Lantern. — King Philip's 



CONTENTS. 9 

Death. — His Assassin. — Great Comet. — Charleston Founded. 
William Penn. — LaSalle. — Charter Oak. — King William's War. 
Salem Witchcraft. — Captain Kidd. — West India Buccaneers in 

CHAPTER VIII.— 1700-1755. 

Story of Hannah Dustin. — Yale College. — Eunice Williams. — French 
More Cruel than Indians. — First Newspaper in United States. 
Coree War. — Yammassee War. — Founding of New Orleans. 
Annihilation of Natchez Indians. — Oppressions. — Oglethorpe 
Founds Georgia. — King George's War. — French and Indian 
War. — George Washington. — Benjamin Fraukliu. — Geueral 
Braddock's Defeat. — Story of Acadia 128 

CHAPTER IX.— 1755-1774. 

Montcalm. — Loudon. — Massacre of Fort William Henry. — William 
Pitt. — Louisburg Taken. — Stark. — Putnam. — Abercrombie. 
Loss of Ticonderoga. — Fort Duquesne. — Death of Wolfe and 
Montcalm at Quebec. — Monument to their Memory. — Peace. 
Indian War. — Pontiac. — English Oppression. — Samuel Adams. 
Stamp Act. — Patrick Henry. — Boston Massacre. — Boston Tea 
Party. — General Gage 146 

CHAPTER X.— 1774-1776. 

Green Mountain Boys. — Ethan Allen. — Benedict Arnold. — First 
Continental Congress. — Rogers' Rangers. — Story of Putnam. 
Independence of Boston Boys.— -Paul Revere's Ride. — Battle of 
Lexington. — "Yankee Doodle." — Story of Dame Catherick. 
" To Arms ! ".—John Stark.— Capture of Ticonderoga.— Battle of 
Bunker Hill. — Death of General Warren. — Invasion of Canada. 
Capture of Ethan Allen. — Sent to England in Chains. — Death 
of Montgomery. — Story of the American Flag. — British Leave 
Boston. — Declaration of Independence 165 

CHAPTER XL— 1776-1781. 

Independence. — First Fourth of July Bonfire.— " Free'n-Equal." 
Saving a Spy. — How the News of the Declaration was Received 



10 CONTENTS. 

by the Colonies. — Fate of Nathan Hale. — Plots and Counterplots. 
Lord Cornwallis. — Danbury. — Ridgefield. — Lafayette. — Sag 
Harbor. — Bursfovne Gets Indian Allies. — Murder of Jane Mc- 
Crea. — Ticonderoga.— Fort Stanwix. — Brandywine. — Burgoyne 
Surrenders. — Valley Forge. — France Acknowledges the Inde- 
pendence of the United States. — Lord Howe Leaves Philadelphia. 
Monmouth Court House.— Molly Pitcher. — Wyoming Massacre. 
Brant. — Red Jacket. — Cornplanter- — Daniel Boone. — Anthony 
Wayne. — Stony Point. — Sumpter and Marion. — Emily Geiger. 
Brave Boys.— Elizabeth Zane. — Fort Henry. — Arnold's Treason. 
Andre's Execution. — Cruelty of Carleton. — Battle of Camden. 
"The Fighting Parson of '76." — Surrender of Cornwallis. 
Cost of the War.— Peace 186 

CHAPTER XII.— 1789-1830. 
First Congress. — Washington Elected President. — Indian War. 
Admission of New States. — War with Tripoli. — First Steam 
Vessel. — Another Indian War. — Tecumseh. — The Prophet. 
Black Hawk War. — Battle of Tippecanoe. — War of 18 12. 
Creek War. — Weatherford and Jackson. — Fort Minims. — Saved 
by Dogs. — Smallest Naval Battle in the World. — Battle on Lake 
Erie. — Perry. — Lundy's Lane. — City of Washington Captured 
by the British. — Battle of New Orleans. — Trouble with the 
Seminole Indians. — First Steam Cars. — Burial of a Great 
Chief 209 

CHAPTER XIII.— 1835-1861. 
Seminole War. — Cold Weather. — Canada Tries to Gain Independence. 
Aroostook War. — Telegraph. — Bunker Hill Monument. 
Mexican War. — Texas. — Gold Discovered in California. — How 
Gold is Mined.— The Great West.— Stock Raising.— Atlantic 
Cable.— John Brown's Revolt. — Secession. — Kansas. — Surrender 
of Fort Sumter 228 

CHAPTER XIV.— 1861-1865. 
Principal Battles of the War.— Merrimac— Ericsson's "Cheese Box.' 1 
Sioux Outbreak. — Emancipation Proclamation. — Sherman's 
March.-^Sheridan's Raid. — Peace.— :Assassination of Lincoln... 245 



CONTENTS. 11 

CHAPTER XV— 1865-1898. 

Indian Wars. — Purchase of Alaska. — Grant. — Pacific Rail Road. 
Shortest Route to India at Last. — Chicago Fire. — Boston Fire. 
Centennial. — Assassination of Garfield. — Bartholdi Statue of 
Liberty. — Columbian Exposition. — Cuban Insurrection. — His- 
tory of Cuba. — The Maine. — War with Spain. — Assassination of 
McKinley 26.S 

CHAPTER XVI.— 1898-1902. 

Hawaii. — Philippines. — Review of States. — Army. — Navy. — Col- 
leges and Schools 293 

CHAPTER XVII. 
Conclusion of Review. — Visitors. — Triumph 308 

INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 
Their Manners, Habits, Customs and Traits 325 

THE ESQUIMAUX- 
Their Appearance. Customs. Dress, Dwellings, Hunting, Etc 487 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS, 



Navajo Boy 

Pequot Indians in Costume 

A Norse Sea King 

Mock Suns Seen bv Early Explorers 
Indian Amusements — Canoe Race 

between Squaws 

Christopher Columbus 

Landing of Columbus 

Hernando Cortez 

Indian Warriors 

Fern an do de Soto 

Queen Elizabeth 

The Renowned Explorer, Sir 

Martin Frobisher 

Frobisher and His 'Ships Passing 

Greenwich 

Sir Walter Raleigh 

Captain John Smith 

Pocahontas 

Henry Hudson 

Governor Brewster's Chair 

Chained Bible, Time of James I... 

Priscilla 

Indian Child in Cradle 

Cecil, Second Lord Baltimore.. . 

John Winthrop 

John Endicott 

Peter Stuyvesant 

King Philip 

William Penn 

Autographs to Pennsylvania 

Charter 

Great Seal of Pennsylvania 

Charter Oak. 

Rev. Cotton Mather 

Indian Life in Their Native Forests 
General Oglethorpe 

12 



PAGE 
21 

27 

33 
34 

36 
4t 
45 
5' 
53 
55 
58 

59 

61 
62 

65 
68 

/O 
81 
82 

85 
95 

99 
101 
106 
108 
1 12 
118 

119 
120 
121 
124 
129 
132 



A Delaware Indian 

Half King 

Franklin's Printing Press 

Disastrous Defeat of General 

Braddock 

Montcalm 

Arrival Of Indian Allies at the 

French Camp 

William Pitt 

Washington Planting the Flag on 

Fort Duouesne 

A Civilized Indian 

Pontiac 

Visit of Pontiac and the Indians to 

Major Gladwin 

Samuel Adams 

Hanging a Stamp Act Official in 

Effigy 

Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia... 

General Israel Putnam 

M 1 nute Man 

Fight at Concord Bridge 

General John Stark 

Capture of Ticonderoga 

Battle of Bunker Hill 

Continental Bills 

General Richard Montgomery 

Unite or Die Flag 

An American Rifleman 

John Hancock 

Old Liberty Bell 

Signers of Declaration of Indepen- 
dence 

House in Which Declaration of 

Independence was Written 

Speaker's Chair and Desk on which 

the Declaration was Signed... 



page 
37 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



13 



PAGE 

Lord Coknwallis 192 

Marquis de Lafayette 193 

Gen. Burgoyne Addressing the 

Indians 194 

Gen. Burgoyne 195 

Gen. Nathaniel Greene 196 

Sir Henry Clinton 199 

Tarleton's Lieutenant and the 

Farmer 201 

Benedict Arnold 203 

Major Andre 204 

Surrender of Lord Cornwall!?.... 205 
Washington's Home, Mount Vernon 206 

George Washington 210 

Inauguration of Washington 211 

Fulton's First Steamboat 213 

James Madison 214 

Pioneer Hero's Fight with Savages 215 

"Wasp" Boarding the "Frolic" 218 

Perry's Victory on Lake Erie 220 

James Monroe 224 

John Quincy Adams 226 

Osceola, Chief of the Seminoles... 229 
Lieutenant Grant Going for Ammu- 
nition at Monterey 232 

Jefferson Davis 240 

Fort Moultrie, Charleston Harbor 241 

Major Anderson 242 

James Buchanan 243 

Confederate Flag 244 

Abraham Lincoln 246 

General George B. McClellon 247 

Lieutenant-General Polk 248 

Island No. 10 250 

Major-General Philip Kearney... 251 
General McClellan at the Battle 

of Ant i eta m 252 

Lieutenant-General T. J.Jackson.. 254 
General Sherman at the Outbreak 

of the War 256 



PAGK 

General Longstreet 259 

Battle of Sfottsylvania Court- 
House 260 

Battle of Cold Harbor 261 

Sheridan's Charge at Cedar Creek 262 

Commodore David G. Farragut 264 

General Robert E. Lee 265 

Lava Beds — Scene in Modoc War... 269 
Scenes in Southern Part of Alaska 270 
Esquimau in Water Proof Cavoe 272 

Ulysses S. Grant 274 

Indians Watching First Train on- 
Pacific Railroad 275 

Burning of Chicago 276 

Main Building of Centennial 

Exhibition 277 

James A. Garfield 278 

Grover Cleveland 279 

Administering the Oath to Presi- 
dent Cleveland 280 

Benjamin Harrison 281 

William McKinley 283 

Admiral George Dewey 284 

Landing of American Troops at 

Cienfuegos 285 

Signatures of Peace Commissioners. 2^~ 

Theodore Roosevelt 291 

Street Scene in Manila 297 

Coats-of-Arms of the States. ..302-3 16 
Winter Camp of Friendly Dacotas 359 

Civilized Navajo Belle 373 

Rocky Mountain Bear 375 

Pueblo Chief 407 

Pueblo Maiden 408 

Spanish-American Indian 409 

Indian Grist Mill 410 

Pueblo at Prayer 411 

Navajo Matron 413 

Navajo Loom 414 

Group of Moquis 4. 1 5 




CHAPTER I. 

H, Mamma Nelson!" cried Bennie, rushing 
to Mr. Nelson's almost as soon as lie was 
back from his summer vacation at Grandpa's 
house. " I did not have a bit better time than 
we had learning the Story of Our Presidents. 
And I've been thinking that we ought to stud}' 
the Story of our Nation — can we?" 

"Why, that is just what we were talking 
about this very afternoon ! Perhaps you don't know that the 
history class in the South End school are planning to beat 
us all this year. What do you think? Mr. Harland has offered 
a prize— a historical library — to the class that will prove that they 
understand the history of the United States the best. Just think c 
it ! only the history of our own country !" cried Charlie. 

"You will find that that is something to know when you come to 
tell it to Mr. Harland, I guess," nodded Jake. "You remember, it is to 
be told in our own words ; we cannot repeat what we read." 1 

" Think what a grand thing it will be for our class to give the 
library to the school, to remember us by ! " exclaimed Nettie. 

"And you can do it, if you try," smiled Mamma Nelson, encour- 
agingly. "I will help you on the outline history, if you will promise 
to faithfully study the books that I will provide for you, and make it 
a fair and honorable contest. Miss Weymouth, who has charge of the 
history class at the South End school, intends to have her scholars at 
her house two nights in every week " 



"To study ! — that isn't fair ! " ejaculated Bennie. 



17 



18 EARLY INHABITANTS OF OUR COUNTRY. 

"Oh, yes; it will be perfectly fair, if you have the same chance. 
How many have you in your class ? " 

''Just thirteen of us ; there ought to be another. There are fifteen 
in the South End class,'' said Jake. 

" I am the one more," laughed Mamma Nelson, " and we will prove 
the luck in numbers. I will give every Friday and Saturday evening 
to you as long as you obey iny rules, and the books will be ready for 
you to begin next week. Will that be satisfactory ? " 

"Oh, yes," cried Nettie. 

"Hurrah for Mamma Nelson!" shouted Bennie. 

"I knew she'd help us," nodded Charlie. 

"And if she does, we'll win !" asserted Jake, very positively. 

EAGER TO STUDY OUR COUNTRY'S HISTORY. 

" We want to keep still about what we are doing, though," said 
Charlie. " Let the South Enders crow, we'll take our turn at the end of 
the race." 

" Of course. And now let's go and tell the rest," said Bennie. 

Friday night found the North End history class, all eager and 
excited, at Mamma Nelson's and before the time to begin their lesson. 

"We've come — is it right ? " asked Bessie Greer, holding her sister 
Marion's hand. 

" You see we were not real sure but that it was only an invitation 
from Nettie and the boys," added Phinney Jernegan. 

" But we thought we'd come and see," concluded Marcella Hines. 

" It is all right, and I am glad to see you interested," said Mamma 
Nelson cordially. " I have a copy of Northrop' s History of the United 
States for each one of you, and you are to keep them as souvenirs of this 
contest, but I do not want them to look as nice and new at the end as 
they do now. You will find other standard histories on the table, and I 
would like to have you bring what you have at home. Truth can only 
be learned by comparison. To-night I will tell the story, but after 
this I shall expect you to tell me. 



EARLY INHABITANTS OF OUR COUNTRY. 19 

We must include the whole of the New World in the story of 
discovery, for then the United States was only a part of the whole, 
and it would be hardly possible to give it a separate history. The earliest 
inhabitants of our broad land are shrouded in mystery. There are 
nearly as many theories about them as there are books upon the 
subject. Traces of cave and cliff dwellings are found all over the 
country, and those which have yielded up their hidden curiosities have 
increased, even while enlightening, the mysteries of past ages ; and 
mounds, from a few inches in height to many feet, still keep their buried 
secrets. Judging from these ruins the earliest settlers may be divided 
into at least three distinct classes." 

"How old do you think these ruins are ? " asked Hadley. 

WHAT THE SPANIARDS FOUND IN NEW MEXICO. 

"They may be more modern than we would like to believe. The 

Spaniards found both ruins and thriving cities when they marched 

through New Mexico. When La Salle visited the Nachez Indians in 

neon ne was astonished to find large houses built of sun-dried bricks, 
lloolj 

covered with dome-shaped roofs of cane. These Indians are 

thought to be descendants of the Mound-builders, by many people." 

" Do you know the story of the lost Atlantis ?" asked Nettie, with 
eager curiosity. 

4 ' Ah, my dears, the beautiful story of the lost Atlantis is no better 
known to us than the secrets of the mysterious mounds, the silent caves 
and the inaccessible cliffs. Ancient writers have described such a land, 
and have said that the flood was due to its destruction." 

' Did you never think that the lost Atlantis was America, after all ? " 
asked Phinney. 

" We would rather think so than to think it never existed, wouldn't 
we ? It may be that the people of those times had means of knowing 
about our land. The legends of the North American natives tell of a 
great flood, when only one man and his wife were saved, and about the 
darkness which covered the face of the earth." 



20 



EARLY INHABITANTS OF OUR COUNTRY. 



" I read of an Indian chief who declared that the Master of Life was 
an Indian, — of his own tribe, too ! " laughed Charlie. 

"I expect you can tell me all about the American Indians," said 
Mamma Nelson looking around the circle of eager faces. 

''Oh, no, Mamma 
Nelson, but we ought to 
tell something about 
them. Wendell Philips 
said that neither Greece, 
nor Germany, nor the 
French, nor the Scotch 
could show a prouder 
record than they," an- 
swered Mar cell a. 

" I know that they 
have been abused," cried 
Bennie. 

" And I think that 
they were no worse than 
the whites who took their 
homes away from them," 
asserted Jake. 

"Prejudice and ig- 
norance have governed 
INDIAN family— Delaware tribe. public opinion of the In- 

dian, I think, and while he is surely no saint he is no greater sinner 
than his white brother, and could tell as long a story of cruelty and 
oppression. We should be as ready to acknowledge the faults of our 
ancestors, as to proudly tell of their perseverance and courage. We 
should be as ready to own that the Indians were patriotic and brave, as 
to tell of their dark and revengeful deeds." 

''Did the Indians never fight among themselves ?" asked Charlie. 
" Yes, indeed. And one great fight was caused by a grashopper. 




EARLY INHABITANTS OF OUR COUNTRY. 



21 



Some children were playing together when a Delaware child caught a 
grasshopper which a Shawnee child wanted. The children came to 
blows ; the mothers came to see what was the matter and began to 
quarrel ; the meu came to their rescue, and the result was a fight in 
which nearly half of them were killed." 

"Just about as sensible as some of the fights now!" exclaimed 
Nettie. 

"Can you tell us why they were called Indians?" asked Hadley. 

" The first explorers 
thought they had discovered a 
part of India, and called the 
meu that they found Indians, 
and they have borne that name 
ever since, when really they are 
the only true Americans." 

" Where did they come 
from, or were they always 
here ?" questioned Josie. 

"One historian says that, 
while the origin of the Indian, 
like that of the Mound-builder, 
is in doubt, there is evidence to 
prove that they are among the NAVAJO BOY. 

oldest races of men, and that it is absurd to say that they came over 
the sea, or were descended from the lost tribes of Israel. Yet some 
still hold that opinion. Some people declare that their wild instincts 
will prevent them from adopting our modes of life or learning. I think 
that the Indian School at Carlisle alone w r ould prove this false. There 
are boarding and day schools upon nearly all of the reservations, 
besides as many as twenty-four other institutions resembling Carlisle, 
which is the largest and best known. These schools have a capacity of 
caring for and educating nearly six thousand young people at a time, 
and the graduates from them will compare favorably with those from 




22 EARLY INHABITANTS OF OUR COUNTRY. 

white schools. In religion they are simple and childlike. A little 
five-year-old Indian girl, when her baby sister was about to die, 
made this beautiful, simple prayer : ' Oh, God, Father, my little 
sister wants to go to Heaven." Open the door softly and take her 
in."' 

"I have heard that the Indians were not always cruel to the 
whites," observed Ray. 

TRAITS AND LEGENDS OF THE INDIANS. 

"No, that was one of the first lessons which they learned. They 
practiced as well as preached personal independence and freedom from 
all restraint, and resented the rule of the white man. They considered 
it a weakness to forgive, and noble to revenge. Bad spirits were thought 
to briug disease and starvation ; good ones sunshine and plenty. Nearly 
all Indian legends say that they were expecting visitors from a distant 
land, — manitous, or gods, — who would be superior to the red race which 
they would elevate to their own plane. But they soon found that the 
newcomers were foes instead of friends, and they made a gallant fight 
for their homes in their own cruel way, which, after all, was not much 
more cruel than the ways of their conquerors, certainly not worse than 
those of our Anglo-Saxon forefathers in Europe." 

"Did Columbus ill treat them?" asked Ruthie in surprise. 

" He began the slave trade. Others came, kidnapping the natives 
and selling them as slaves, until the most trustful became suspicious 
and treacherous. Drake tells the story of a white man, who, meeting an 
Indian saluted him as brother. ' Ugh, how we be brothers ? ' asked the 
Indian. ' Oh, by way of Adam, I suppose,' was the laughing answer. 
The red man did not reply for some minutes, then he said gravely, 'Ugh, 
me t'ank him Great Spirit we no nearer brothers.'" 

"All the early discoverers did not use the Indian badly, — Penn 
didn't," cried Bennie. 

"No. Some purchased lands instead of taking them by force. In 
1634 Maquacomen, a Pawtuxent chief, said : ' I love the English so well 



EARLY INHABITANTS OF OUR COUNTRY. 



23 



that if they should go about to kill me, if I had so much breath as to 
speak, I would command my people not to avenge my death, for I know 
they would do no such thing except it were through my own fault.' 

A 




0^ 

P8F 



INDIAN WEAPONS. 

Two hundred and forty-two years later Sitting Bull, the Sioux, said : 
1 There is not one white man who loves an Indian, and not one true 
Indian but what hates a white man.' Niuigret, a famous chief, when 



24 EARLY INHABITANTS OF OUR COUNTRY. 

asked to allow Christianity to be taught to his people, said : ' It would be 
better to preach it to the English until they were good. ' " 

"I can tell you the story of Hatuey," said Katie eagerly. 
"When Diego Velasquez invaded Cuba, Hatuey told all the natives 
to throw their gold into the sea, because gold was the god of the 
Spaniards and there was no place to elude their search for it but the bottom 
of the ocean, so they collected all the gold they could and threw it into 
the sea. After that Hatuey was taken and sentenced to be burned at the 
stake. As he stood there, with dry wood smeared with pitch piled high 
around him, a priest came forward to baptize him so that he might be sure 
of the joys of paradise. ' Do Spaniards go to your heaven ? ' asked the 
cacique, drawing back. k Certainly, all good men go there,' was the 
reply. 'Then leave me, I will not go where there is danger of meeting 
them,' was the answer, as the black smoke closed around him." 

WHY A SPANIARD WAS DROWNED. 

"Good for you, Katie, but I think I can beat that story," laughed 
Jake. " When the Spaniards went to Mexico the natives reverenced 
them as superior beings. When they saw a man on horseback they 
thought that man and horse were one mysterious creature. But there 
were some among them who doubted, and determined to prove the origin 
of the Spaniards. They asked one of them to go to a cacique's house with 
them, and while rowing across the river, they pushed him overboard and 
held him under the water until he drowned. Then they took him up 
gently and carried him ashore, where they watched the body three days and 
nights to see it show signs of returning life. When it gave evidence of 
death instead, they knew the Spaniards were mortal like themselves." 

"I know a story, too," cried Bessie. "The Araucanians of South 
America, when they saw negroes with the Spaniards, thought that gun- 
powder was made from their bodies, they were so black. So they cap- 
tured one as soon as they could and burned him to discover the secret of 
the ' white man's thunder that killed.' They were much surprised and 
bewildered bv the result." 



EARLY INHABITANTS OF OUR COUNTRY. 25 

" Here is another," added Marion. " Indians believed that all 
people who went to the ' happy hunting ground ' without being scalped, 
strangled, or hung, would find perfect happiness. When Major Elliot 
was killed, fighting bravely, they would not scalp him, for they thought 
that so brave a man ought to go to heaven, but they cut off his right 
haud and foot so that he could not harm them there." 

" And here is another, added Phinney. "They believed that, when 
the sun was eclipsed, it had lost its heat, and was in danger of going out. 
So they would fasten live coals to arrows and shoot them towards it tc 
re-kindle it." 

WHITE WOMEN TAUGHT BY INDIAN SQUAWS. 

"We got our corn from the Senaca fields, also squashes, beans, 
pumpkins and melons. And Indian squaws taught the white women 
to make hoe-cake, pone, hominy, succotash, gruel and popped corn. 
And they were the first to know about ' Boston baked beans ! " nodded 
Marcella. 

" Was there ever any Hiawatha, Mamma ? " asked Charlie. 
'That is considered a legend, from which Longfellow wrote his 
beautiful Song of Hiawatha, but it might have had a foundation. There 
are several versions of it." 

"I can tell you why Indians always made their attacks by day or by 
moonlight, if they possibly could," said Nettie. " They thought that if 
a man was killed in the dark he would have to spend all eternity in 
darkness," said Nettie. 

" Can you tell us what race inhabited Mexico, before the Aztecs lived 
there ? " Hadley inquired. 

u The Toltecs, and before them there were several traditional races. 
But these would make a study of themselves, and we must wait until we 
are through with history, then someday we may study the races of man." 

"But the Aztecs knew all about astronomy and such things," 
declared Josie. 

kl Yes, Cortes found that the Julian reckoning, then employed in 



2ti EARLY INHABITANTS OF OUR COUNTRY 

Europe, was ten days in the wrong by the Aztec system, which, of courses 
he declared to be wrong. But, iu 1582, the Aztec system was 
found to be only two minutes aud nine seconds out of the 
way much nearer right than that of the Europeans." 
"But they kept slaves," cried Ray. 

"Well, in the sixth century the Anglo-Saxons sold their relatives, 
even their own children, into slavery. Iu history, and in tradition 
slavery has always existed. It came to America with the white explorer, 
I think, for I can find no mention of slaves being held by the natives 
before that, although they might have been. The first white people had 
Indian slaves here, and Charles V. gave free license to introduce negro 
slavery iuto the colonies." 

FAMOUS GOLD MINES OF MONTEZUMA. 

"Do you think Montezuma's gold mines will ever be discovered ?" 
asked Ruth. 

i4 They may have been already discovered — they may have been in 
New Mexico and Arizona, and we know that the Toltecs and the Aztecs 
surely did work silver and gold mines." 

" Did they have such treasures of gold as we have read about?" 
asked Bennie. 

"Spanish history tells the story of rich presents given to Cortes 
and his followers, gold and silver, jewelry of good workmanship, and 
many other things. Montezuma welcomed Cortes at his palace, and 
'hung about his neck a chaste necklace of gold, most cunningly worked 
with figures, all representing crabs. The sacred palace, built for the 
mysterious Quetzalcoatl, had four rooms, facing north, south, east and 
west. One Mas ornamented with gold, one with silver and shells, one 
with feathers, and one with red jasper. But the study of Mexico, 
fascinating as it surely is, is not what will win the historical library, 
and we must leave it for another time." 

" Then tell us something about the Indians who were here when 
the white man came," suggested Katie. 



EARLY INHABITANTS OF OUR COUNTRY. 



27 



"There were many distant tribes, all more or less hostile to eacli 
other, and generally at war. The Algonqnins inhabited the New Eng- 
land States, the eastern part of New York and Pennsylvania, New 




PEQUOT INDIANS IN COSTUME. 

Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina to Cape Fear, a 
large part of Kentucky and Tennessee, and nearly all of Ohio, Illinois, 
Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. This great nation was divided 



28 EARLY INHABITANTS OF OUR COUNTRY. 

into ruany sub-tribes — Knistenaux, Ottawas, Chippewas, Sacs and Foxes, 
Menononees, Miamas, Piankeshaws, Potawatomies, Kickapoos, Dela- 
wares, Mohegans, Narragansetts, Pequods and Abenakis. The Iroquois 
occupied almost all of that part of Canada south of Ottawa, and between 
Lakes Ontario, Erie and Huron, the greater part of New York, and the 
country along the south shore of Lake Erie, including Ohio and Penn- 
sylvania. They were sub-divided into the Senacas, Cayugas, Onon- 
dagas, Oneidas and Mohawks, these five tribes being afterwards called 

the Five Nations. In 1722 they admitted the Tuscarora tribe, 
fl 7221 . m 

and became the Six Nations. They called themselves the 

Konoskioni, or 'Cabin Builders;' the Algonquins called them Mingoes ; 

the French called them Iroquois, and the English called them Mohawks. 

TRIBES IN THE SOUTH. 

"The Catawbas dwelt along the Yadkin and Catawba rivers, and 
near the line which separates North and South Carolina. The Chero- 
kees, whose lands were bounded on the east by the broad river of the 
Carolinas, included northern Georgia. The Uchees, who lived south of 
the Cherokees, along the Savannah, the Oconee, and the headwaters of 
the Ogeechee and Chattahoochee. They had a singular language, and 
some people believe that they were the remnant of a powerful nation. 
The Mobilians, who inhabited all of Georgia and South Carolina which 
has not been mentioned, a part of Kentucky and Tennessee and all of 
Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. This nation was divided into three 
ereat confederations — Creeks, Choctaws and Chickasaws — which were sub- 
divided into a number of smaller tribes, the principal of which were 
the Seminoles and Yemassees, both of which belouged to the Creek 
division. The Natchez dwelt in a small territory east of the Mississippi 
and along the banks of the Pearl river. They had a distinct language, 
worshipped the sun, and are thought to have been the most civilized of 
all the North American Indians. The Dakotas, or Sioux, had lands 
bounded on the north by Lake Winnipeg ; on the south by the Arkansas 
river ; on the east by the Mississippi, and on the west by the Rocky 



EARLY INHABITANTS OF OUR COUNTRY. 29 

Mountains. They were sub-divided into the Assiniboins, Southern Sioux, 
Mintarees, Mandans and Crows." 

" I think that I have heard of other tribes," asserted Phinney. 

" Yes, there were those of the great plains, the Rockies and the Pacific 
coast. They were the Pawnees, Comanches, Apaches, Utahs, Blackfeet, 
Snakes, Nez Perces, Flatheads and Californias. Each tribe was divided 
into other classes or clans, we might say families, and had a mark tattooed 
on their breasts to distinguish them by." 

" Were their rulers always men ?" asked Jake. 

" No ; there was a chief over each class, and the head of the tribe 
was a great chief, or sachem, generally a man, but sometimes a woman. 
Often, as with Red Cloud, a chief of the Ogallalla Sioux, the chieftainship 
is not inherited, but won by especial bravery." 

SNOW SHOES AND BARK CANOES. 

" My grandpa hired an Indian squaw to make my papa a pair of 
snowshoes when he was a little boy," nodded Marcella. ''Papa gave 
them to my cousin, and he has them yet." 

"Their most ingenious inventions were the snowshoe and the bark 
canoe. After they learned to use a gun they threw their bows and arrows 
aside," said Bessie. 

" They used a sort of picture language when communicating with 
each other, and rocks have been found covered with these messages," 
added Marion. 

"They do not always put them on rocks. lean tell you a true 
story of how an Indian arrow, and some sort of a mysterious sign, 
saved a family, and that family was mamma's uncle's," ejaculated Ray. 

"Well, tell it then, and don't keep us waiting," cried Charlie. 

" Mamma's uncle Hiram moved to Minnesota, and had a farm and 
sawmill there. One day a chief was taken very sick when returning 
from a trading trip down the river. Aunt Mary let him come into the 
house, fixed him a nice bed, and doctored him until he was better. He 
went home, and the next week nearly all the braves of his tribe came to 



30 EARLY INHABITANTS OF OUR COUNTRY. 

see the bed which he had used, the dishes he had eaten from and the 
stove which cooked his food. The folks were frightened, I can tell you, 
for there were about three hundred of the braves, and the whole lot of 
them camped close by. And what do you think? The old chief wanted 
to buy Helen, then about sixteen years old, and he offered quite a lot for 
her. He was very much disappointed and surprised to find out that 
white folks did not sell their girls." 

INDIAN ARROW WITH A QUEER MARK. 

"What has all this to do with the Indian arrow?" demanded 

Nettie. 

" It had a great deal, that visit did, for there was a time soon after 
when all of those Indians went on the war-path, killing people all 
around uncle Hiram's house, but they did not come near them. After 
the scare was over what do you think they found ? They found an 
arrow and a queer mark on a tree at the place where the two roads met, 
not far from the mill, and not an Indian had come beyond it. There 
is a clear case of Indian gratitude ! " asserted Ray, triumphantly. 

"It is claimed that the Indian races were already disappearing 
when the white man came, and, while some tribes have entirely disap- 
peared, others are much civilized and have advanced by contact with 
a more enlightened race." 

" In other words, it is necessary to kill off the many for the sake of 
the few — is that it?" laughed Hadley. 

" Not exactly, but the law of the races follows closely that of the 
vegetable kingdom, and the survival of the fittest is proven every day. 
Kingdoms always have risen and fallen ; peoples have flourished and 
disappeared. We have found that the first white men were regarded as 
gods from the distant Chebakunah, the Land of Souls, and the tidings of 
their coming ran from tribe to tribe, to be talked of in lodge and council 
house. They welcomed them with gifts of corn and fruit, giving them 
cordial help, but all too soon these trusting red men discovered that the 
supposed gods were very selfish and human men. The first thing was 



EARLY INHABITANTS OF OUR COUNTRY. 31 

to kidnap some of the unsuspecting natives to send across the water as 
a show, and the next was to make slaves of them. Is it any wonder 
that they became ' wild and unruly,' and tried to keep more ships from 
anchoring ? The white man's ' fire-water ' was the most deadly agent 
in the conquest of the American Indian, and as it would buy more fine 
furs than cloth and beads it was freely used by traders. Up to the 
coming of Columbus drunkenness was not known among them." 

FONDNESS FOR "FIRE-WATER." 

" The story is told of Masewapega, an Ojibwa, who visited the white 
spirits, and carried back to his tribe some spirits which were not white 
in character. The Indians dared not taste the liquor for fear that it was 
poison, but finally gave a glass to a very old squaw, who had not very 
much longer to live anyhow ! To their great surprise the old woman 
became very happy instead of dying, and presently begged for more. 
From that day the Ojibwas thought nothing of going a hundred miles, 
if need be, to get ' fire water.' " 

" Is that all about the Indian? " asked Josie. 

"We shall read of them as we read of the numerous Indian wars, 
but I know that you will want to study more about them, and after you 
have won the library perhaps we will try the Story of Man, and find out 
more about them, as well as of many strange races not found in our 
own lands. Our next lesson will be quite as interesting, for it will 
begin with the old Vikings, or Norsemen." 

" All right. We'll tell you about them," laughed Ray, taking his 
history from the table. 

" Of course we will," added more than one of the class as they took 
the books and reluctantly went away. 




CHAPTER II. 

TUDY night, — how do } r ou people like it ? " asked 
Charlie, when they were once more seated in 
Mamma Nelson's pleasant room. 

" He means the unfortunate four who have 
never enjoyed Mamma's stories before. There, is 
no need to ask the old White House Club," nodded 
Nettie. 

"I think that I can speak for us all and say 
that it is just splendid. I always hated history, 
but I shall read every book in the historical 
library, — when we get it," laughed Phinney. 

" And we'll have it !" asserted Jake, with a loving glance at their 
faithful teacher. 

"You mean that we'll try," she smiled. "And now what can you 
say of the Norse discoveries ? We will begin with Iceland, for if that 
had not been found by the Norsemen, America would not have been. 
Of course these discoveries have no real bearing on the settlement of 
America, for, although there is good proof that they did sail along the 
coast as far south, perhaps, as New York harbor, they made no perma- 
nent settlements and influenced no further explorations. Who will tell 
us about the settlement of Iceland, when it was and how ? " 

" Storms should have the credit for all the early discoveries, for the 
explorers were driven about by the wind until they just happened to find 
land," declared Nettie. 
rQft "Iceland was discovered by a sea-rover, named Naddad, who was 

J driven upon its shore about 864. He called it Snowland," said Ray. 
32 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 



33 



[865] 



[874] 



" In 865 another Viking rover was driven there. His name was Sva- 
farson, and he called the place Gardar's Isle. Led by his account 
a colony went there but did not stay but one winter," added Josie. 

"Nearly ten years later Earl Ingolf, in trying to escape from the 
tyranny of King Haarfager, made the first settlement in Iceland 
and gave it its name," said Hadley. 

"Was Greenland discovered at the same time?" asked Mamma Nelson. 

"Greenland was not seen for more than a hundred years," answered 

,-««~-, Ruth. " At least it was not 
[986] 



colonized before that time, but 
I found a place where it said that it 
was found in 876, — it might have been 
a mistake, though." 

" Well, I want to know why 
these Norsemen were the ones to do 
this. Who were they ? I thought 
they lived in Norway," exclaimed 
Phinney. 

" So their descendants do, and | 
they live in a very quiet way com 
pared to that of their roving ances 
tors. At that time they were the ^ 
discoverers of the world. For two or 
three centuries they had overrun a norse sea-king. 

the British Isles, and Canute, one of their princes, was seated upon the 
throne of England. They occupied a part of France, which they called 
Normandy ; held possession of Sicily ; the northern coasts of Italy and 
Greece ; and dictated the laws of Jerusalem and Constantinople. So you 
see they were the power of the world at one time." 

"And now hold only one little corner of it — that seems to be the 
way with nations as well as peoples," said Bennie. 

" Did you find out anything about Eric the Red?" asked Mamma 

Nelson. 
3 




34 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 



" It was lie who made the first colony in Greenland in 986. He was 
called Eric Rauda, or Eric the Red, because his hair and beard were 
red," said Katie. 

"I read that he was twice a murderer, and that he was banished 
from his native land. He was called Eric the Red because he was a 




MOCK SUNS, SEEN EY EARLY EXPLORERS. 

murderer. He lived at Brattalid, and gave Greenland its name." asserted 
Jake. 

" Did he discover America ? " asked Mamma Nelson. 

"Oh no," cried Bessie. "That was first seen by a man named 
Biarne Herjulfson, (or Heriulf), whose father was one of Eric's colony. 
He was sailing from Iceland to Greenland, when he ran into a fog bank 
and was driven about several days. When the fog cleared away and 
they saw land, it did not look like the Greenland coast, but was low and 
sandy. He steered his vessel towards the north and reached Greenland. 
The land which he saw was probably Newfoundland or Labrador." 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 35 

" And his account led Leif, Eric's son, to make a search for the land 
which he had seen," Marion continued. " It is said that he went as far 
south as New York harbor, although the Vineland which he found and 
named was probably between Cape Breton and Point Judith." 

"Leif, Eric's son, bought Biarne's vessel, and hired a crew of thirty- 
five men. Among them was a German named Tyrker, who had lived in 

D„,_. Eric's family since he was a boy. The ship was one of the kind 
00 1] ..... 

propelled by oars and sails. Lief invited his father to go with him 

as commander of the expedition, but, as Eric was riding to the ship on 

horseback, his beast stumbled and nearly fell, which was considered a 

very evil omen, so he returned to his home, and Leif sailed away to th? 

southwest without him," said Phinney. 

SIGHTED SNOW-CAPPED MOUNTAINS. 

"Drifting through the icy northern sea they sighted land, flat and 
rocky near the shore, with high, snow-capped mountains in the distance. 
Sailing on they saw another country, also flat, but thickly wooded, with 
a broad, sandy shore. They landed before sailing southward. Soon 
they sighted another land, hilly and mostly covered with woods, where 
they landed and found some delicious small fruits- They also saw 
some charred wood and the bones of a very large fish, which proved to 
them that the spot had been visited by human beings before. 
They could hear nothing but the sound of the rippling waves and 
the songs of birds, although they waited and listened intently. The 
water at the mouth of the river, where they found a fine harbor, was 
full of salmon, and there were plenty of deer in the woods," added 
Marcella. 

" Did they stay there ? " asked Mamma Nelson. 

"Yes, and built huts for shelter, but afterwards they built larger 
houses and called the place Leif s Budir or Booths. The men were 
divided into two parties, one to stay at the settlement while the other 
was exploring. They would go as far as they could in one day and 
return at night, Leif always going with them," said Bessie. 



36 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 



" I wonder what kind of a looking man Leif was, — I wish I knew," 
sighed Marion. 

" I saw that he was a tall, robust man, very dignified, prudent and 
capable," answered Charlie. 

" I will tell the first story about the party," cried Nettie. "One 
day, when the exploring party got to camp, they found that Tryker was 




"=^\v**c- & 1 — 



INDIAN AMUSEMENTS— CANOE-RACE BETWEEN SQUAWS. 

missing. Leif took twelve men and went back after him. They soon 
met him, his hands full of ripe, wild grapes. The others had seen them 
in the woods but did not know what they were, and Tyrker told them 
that they were good to make wine of. Then Leif named the country 
Vineland, or, as some authors write it, " Wineland." 

" They spent the winter there but returned to Greenland in the 
spring, and found that Brie was dead and Leif heir to all his property, 
as he was the oldest son," said Hadley. 

" Then he did not make any further attempt to colonize the new 
land?" said Mamma Nelson inquiringly. 




m 

D 
_J 
O 

o 

Ll 

o 

o 

z 

Q 

z 
< 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 37 

" No, but Eric's second son, Thorwald, took the vessel and went 

there. He occupied the houses which Leif built, and explored the 

_ _, country around, but found no traces of human beings. In the 
P002] . . 

spring he sailed eastward, around a land to which he gave the 

name of Keel Cape, because it resembled the keel to a ship. It is 

supposed to have been Cape Cod," said Hadley. 

" He did not use the natives well any more than the explorers who 

came after him," declared Josie. " They sailed into a harbor where there 

were canoes with Indians in them and they killed all but one of them. 

That one escaped and brought a lot of warriors to avenge the death of 

their comrades. The result was a fight in which Thorwald was wounded 

by an arrow and soon died. They buried him in the land which he had 

admired so much, and of which he had said; 'This is a goodly place, 

and here I will make my abode for a season.' Then they went back to 

Greenland, having found the shores of the New World inhospitable." 

ERIC'S ADVENTUROUS SONS. 

" Go on Ray," smiled Mamma Nelson. 

"Then Eric's last son, Thorstein, decided to bring his brother's 
body back to Greenland and lay it beside his father, so he took the same 
vessel and crew, and sailed for Vineland, taking his wife, Gudrida, with 
him. According to all accounts they did not reach that place, but, after 
drifting about in utter bewilderment for some months, they found them- 
selves at their starting point. Meanwhile Thorstein had died of a dis- 
ease which broke out among the crew, and his widow carried his body 
home," answered Ray. 

"I suppose that ended the explorations from Greenland?" 

"Oh, no indeed! A wealthy Norwegian, who came to Greenland, 
fell in love with Gudrida, married her, and sailed for the wonderful new 
r n land which the Erickson brothers had visited. His name was 
Thorfinn Karlsefne, and he was of Irish, Swedish, Scotch, Danish 
and Norwegian descent. It is said that some of his ancestors were kings, 
or at least of royal blood. He took three ships, and as many as one 



38 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 

hundred and forty men, besides five married couples, for he intended to 
make a permanent settlement," said Ruth. 

"Did they find Leif's booths?" asked Mamma Nelson. 

"Not at first. They landed where they found wild grapes and 
wheat growing wild. They stayed there until the next spring, when two 
boats started out to find Vineland. Thorfinn went in one, and found the 
place. But Thorhall, who was with the other, with eight men, was driven 
across the ocean to Ireland, where they were made slaves. Thorfinn 
built more houses at Vineland, and soon the settlement was visited by 
natives, who wanted to exchange furs for cloth. A son was born to Gud- 
rida here, and he was named Snorre. This sou was the ancestor of a 
long line of men notable in Icelandic history. Among them was Albert 
Thorwaldsen, the sculptor," replied Bennie. 

"Did they stay in Vineland, Katie?" 

SHARP CONFLICTS WITH THE NATIVES. 

" No, the natives finally got warlike, perhaps because they cheated 
them a little, and, after a fight or two, the Norsemen gave up the thought 
of staying there. Thorfinn and his family went to Norway, but returned 
to Iceland, where he died. It was in ion that the settlement was aban- 
doned. One thing Bennie did not tell you. Bishop Thorlak, who wrote 
the oldest work on the ecclesiastical law of Iceland, published in 1123, 
was Snorre' s grandson, and he probably wrote about these vovages," 
answered Katie. 

"Eric's daughter, Freydisa, with one vessel, and the foundation of a 
colonv, went to the new land, but returned the next year, the 

r| 01 1~| 

colony being given up on account of private quarrels," said Jake. 

"Gudleif, an Icelander, started for Dublin, but was driven out of 

his course, and supposed to have been wrecked on the shores of 

America. The men were taken by the natives, who carried them 

inland where they found a chief who spoke their language and 

sent a ring to the sister of one of the men. It is supposed that he 

was really an Icelander, who sailed away in 998," said Bessie. 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 39 

"It is claimed that a Norse ship visited New England as late as 
1347, and that such visits were frequent, although no settle- 
ments were made," added Marion. 
"And so the Icelandic chronicles claim that the Norsemen dis- 
covered America five hundred years before Spain could claim the honor. 
Labrador was probably the stony land ; the flat wooded land was New- 
foundland ; and Vineland was in Massachusetts or Rhode Island. Some 
say that Thorwald was buried at Fall River ; others say in Boston Har- 
bor, and many say that the stone tower at Newport was builded by Thor- 
finn's crew," said Phinney. 

"There is a tradition that Prince Madoc, of Wales, discovered this 

country in 11 70, that he started back with ten ships and a colony of men, 

women, and children, but was not heard of afterwards. Until 

the Icelandic records told of the Norse discoveries Wales claimed 

the honor for Madoc. Can you tell me if any other nation has ever 

claimed that honor also? " asked Mamma Nelson. 

CHINESE SAID TO HAVE DISCOVERED AMERICA. 

" Yes. Deguignes declared that the Chinese discovered America," 
laughed Marcella. 

"And it has been said that the Irish were here in the sixth and 
seventh centuries. Some of them did go to Iceland, and remained there 
after its settlement in 874," said Phinney. 

" It has been claimed that Japanese junks were driven upon the 
shores of California and Oregon in those old times," observed Nettie. 
r Q "Jean Coresan was landed in Brazil by a storm," declared 
Charile. 

" There is no reason why these accounts may not be true, but they 
are of little value because they can not be proven, and no settlements 
resulted from them. The Norsemen cared more about conquering 
Europe than they did about keeping the colonies in New England, and 
even in Greenland, which was abandoned soon after. I am much pleased 
with the interest which you have shown, and the intelligent way in which 



40 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 

you have told the result of your study. If you keep on as you have 
begun I think I may have to give you a surprise," smiled Mamma Nelson. 

"Really and truly, Mamma Nelson?" flashed Bennie. 

"Mamma always gives us rewards of merit, — when she thinks that 
we deserve them," said Charlie proudly. 

" Yes, the library will be a small part of what we shall get," Nettie 
nodded decidedly. 

" Well, we have come to something less traditionary. Spain took 
the lead in the discoveries in a new world. Can you tell me what led 
Columbus to think the earth was round, and that he would find land by 
sailing toward the west ?" 

" I can," cried Hadley. "As much as three hundred years before 
the Christian era began Aristotle thought that the earth was round and 
that the ocean which washed the western shores of Europe also washed 
the eastern shores of Asia. He wrote much about it. Columbus read 
his works, and thought that he could reach the East Indies by a short 
route in a few days. Death came to him before fame, and he never knew 
that he had discovered a new continent." 

MISTAKES OF EARLY DISCOVERERS. 

" They thought the world was a little place and they lived in the 
biggest part of it !" declared Josie. 

" The men who began the discoveries of the fifteenth century cer- 
tainly thought that the earth was much smaller than it is, that a vast 
ocean occupied what we know as the western hemisphere, and they were 
searching for a short route to India, not to find unknown lands," 
exclaimed Charlie. 

"Who was Christopher Columbus, and where was he born?" asked 
Mamma Nelson. 

" He was born in Genoa, in 1435, an< ^ was the son °f a wool-comber 

or weaver. His parents were poor, and he had two brothers and a sister. 

His ancestors were sailors, and he liked the sea, so, after a 

*- common school education, he went to the University of Pavia, 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 



41 



[1470] 



where lie studied navigation, geography, astronomy, and geometry," 
said Ray. 

" Did he stay there long enough to complete a course, or, having 
heard the story of the mysterious Atlantis, of the island of Antilla, and 
of the fabled Isle of the Seven Cities, did he long to prove the stories 
true or false ? " asked Ruth. 

" I suppose that, as he read the account of Polo, he made up his 
mind that he might find the 
wonderful Cathay (China), or 
the island of Zipangi (Japan)," 
suggested Bennie. 

" Columbus lived in Portu- 
gal when that country was the 
.centre of maritime enter- 
prise, and he made many 
voyages in the employ of the 
Portuguese, making and selling 
maps and charts when on shore. 
He married a widow whose first 
husband left valuable papers on 
navigation and discoveries, and 
these were of great service to 
him. Sailors returning from the Christopher columbus. 

Canary Islands told of land seen far across the water ; a piece of strangely 
carved wood had been thrown upon the Portuguese coast ; an old 
pilot told him of finding a carved paddle at sea, a thousand miles from 
Europe ; pine trees had been cast on shore at Madeira ; and — more con- 
vincing than all the rest — he heard that the bodies of two men, with 
dress and features unlike any people ever seen in Europe, had been 
cast ashore at the Azores. So he concluded to try and find out what it 
all meant. How did he manage to get the funds for the enterprise ?" 
asked Mamma Nelson. 

" He had been to Iceleand while making voyages for the Portuguese 




42 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 

and there he heard the marvelous stories of the discoveries of the Erick- 
son brothers and Thorfinn Karlsefne, and he determined to try and 
rediscover what they had abandoned. But he was too poor to fit out ships, 
and the king of Portugal was too busy with Spain to aid him, even if he 
had wanted to spend money on what looked to be a very visionary 
scheme," said Katie. 

THE WISE MEN OF THE KINGDOM. 

" But this king was soon succeeded b}^ John II, who listened to him 
kindly, and referred the matter to a committee of the wise men of his 
kingdom," Jake went on. " After much debate they decided that the plan 
was too extravagant and uncertain, in fact they thought that the imagi- 
nation of Columbus had more to do with it than his good sense had. 
King John was not satisfied with the report, and appointed another com- 
mittee, who only upheld what the first decided. Then, by advice of a 
bishop, King John treacherously got all the charts and directions from 
Columbus, and fitted out a vessel to follow out the plans. When 
Columbus discovered what he had done he would answer no more of 
his questions. His wife being. dead, he took his son Diego, and went 
to Spain." 

" Did he get help there " 

" Not for a long time. Every one that he talked with made him 
this ignorant answer : ' If this earth is round then you will have to sail 
up hill from Spain, and you could never get back again,' " said Bessie. 

"What remarkably wise men ! " exclaimed Marion. 

"It was lucky for us that men like Columbus did not give up their 

opinions easily," returned Bessie. " He next asked Henry VII of 

England to help him, but was refused. In 1484 he went to Spain 

I I cL Q Q I 

to ask aid of Ferdinand and Isabella, sovereigns of that country. 
But Spain was at war with the Moors and could not attend to more." 

" Let Phinney tell us what Columbus did next," suggested Mamma 
Nelson. 

" He tried seven years to interest them, but he got tired at last and 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 43 

turned to leave Spain. He had his son with him, and they traveled on 
foot. Near Palos they stopped at the monastery of Santa Maria de Rabida, 
to visit Juan Perez de Marchena, a prior who had formerly been the 
Queen's confessor, and had befriended Columbus when he first came to 
Spain. This prior wanted him to wait until he should make one more 
trial to interest the sovereigns in the plan, and went to them himself. 

COLUMBUS BEFORE THE KING AND QUEEN. 

" Perhaps the fact that some other nation might benefit by a great 
discovery if Columbus succeeded, had much influence, and the naviga- 
tor was summoned to an audience with the king and queen. Ferdinand 
did not favor the project very much, but Isabella did, and offered to 
pledge her private jewels to raise the money for the enterprise," 
answered Phinney. 

" It was the third of August, when Columbus set out on his under- 
taking, and what is more it was on Friday. He had three small ves- 
sels, one hundred and twenty men, and a year's provisions. They 
reached the Canary Islands in about a month, where they took additional 
supplies, turned their prows to the westward, and boldly sailed into 
unknown seas," added Marcella. 

"How did his men feel about it ? " asked Mamma Nelson. 

"Why, they imagined that they had seen land for the last time, and 
when night came, and darkness was all around them, they cried," 
laughed Phinney. 

"Then, when the wind freshened and blew them steadily to the 
westward, they thought that they were getting away so far that they 
never could get back, and they began to say that Columbus kuew noth- 
ing about it. When ten weeks had passed they were ready for mutiny, 
but soon they began to see signs of land and thought that they would 
wait a little longer. Sometimes they saw a mirage, and thought that 
they would soon land ; then they saw a bush covered with berries float 
by ; or they heard the lookout cry that land was ahead," said Katie. 

"They got tired of all this when land did not appear," interrupted 



44 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 

Charlie. " And as the ships still went west the sailors demanded that 
they should be allowed to steer for home. They even threatened to 
throw their commander overboard and return to Spain. Columbus, of 
them all, was calm and determined, resolved to succeed or die in the 
attempt. At last he promised to do as they wished if they would only 
hold on a few days longer. On the night of October nth the men were 
too excited to think of sleep, and Columbus watched the long hours 
through, from the poop of the ' Santa Maria,' even more eager and 
excited than his men although he was so calm and dignified." 

"And did they see land when day came ? " demanded Benuie. 

SIGNAL GUN FROM THE PINTA. 

" About ten o'clock Columbus saw the first light, but thinking that 
it might bs his own excited imagination, he called two of his passengers, 
and they all saw it. Soon a gun was fired from the Pinta, to tell that 
the light had been seen from that vessel," said Nettie. 

"It was on Friday that Columbus sailed from Spain. It was on 
Friday, October 12, 1492, that he' first saw the shores of a new world," 
mused Hadley. "So Friday was not such a very unlucky day for him. 
When morning came land could be seen very plainly. It was about six 
miles away, the air was laden with the perfume of flowers, and brilliant 
birds hovered around the strange white ships, so like huge snowy birds 
themselves, which had come to their shores. 

" Did they see any natives ? " questioned Josie. 

"Yes, there were crowds of them running along the beach. 
Columbus had won success. As he stood gazing at the new land which 
he had discovered by his own perseverance and energy, his arms foldet 
above his exultant heart, and his eyes dimmed with tears of proud joy, 
the very men who had decided upon his death knelt at his feet, kissing 
his garments, as they implored pardon. They lauded at sunrise, and, 
as the boats approached the land, naked, copper-colored natives, who had 
watched every move in awe and surprise, fled to the forest," said Ray, 

"What next?" smiled Mamma Nelson. 









GENERAL PEPPERELL AT THE SIEGE OF LOUISBURG 





GENERAL STARK AT THE BATTLE OF BENNINGTON 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 



45 



"Columbus immediately went on shore with the royal banner, 
which he waved over the ground, then knelt and kissed the soil, arose, 
drew his sword, and took possession in the name of Ferdinand and 
Isabella. He was followed by the Pinzon brothers with the flags of the 
expedition," said Ruth. 

" What kind of flags were they ? " asked Bessie. 

"They were white silk, pennon-shaped, having a green cross with 




LANDING OF COLUMBUS. 

the initials of 'Ferdinand and Isabella' on either side of them, sur- 
mounted by a golden crown. The land was one of the Bahamas, and 
was called Guanahani by the natives, but Columbus called it San Sal- 
vador," said Bennie. 

"And the English called it Cat Island," laughed Marcella. 

" Is it my turn again ? " asked Katie. " Well, I am not very sure, 
but I think that, after exploring that island, Columbus discovered Cuba, 
Hayti, and other West India islands. 

"Yes, and the Spaniards declared that they saw fishes with human 



46 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 

heads, which they called sirens, and they were nothing but the creatures 
which we call manati, or sea-cows !" ejaculated Jake. 

" They were greatly surprised also at seeing the natives with smoke 
coming from their lips. But they soon learned what tobacco was," said 
Marion. 

" And to see the squaws baking beans in the ground, in earthen 
pots," added Phinney. 

SINGULAR MODE OF COOKING POTATOES 

" But strangest of all was the way that they ate potatoes. At first 
they thought that the balls were the part to eat, and did not like them 
much. Then they boiled and mashed the potatoes, seasoned them with 
cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper, treated them with sugar, butter and 
grape juice, aud frosted them with rosewater and sugar," laughed Mar- 
cella. 

"Columbus named Cuba Juana, in honor of Prince Juan, but it is 
called by its Indian name of Cuba to this day. Because Hayti looked 
like the old country they called it Hispaniola, or Little Spain. There 
they built a small fort, in which thirty of the men decided to remain," 
said Charlie. 

"When they reached Portugal, King John was very glad to see 
them, but was very sorry that he had thrown away such an opportunity. 
Columbus did not stop, however. He sent word of his safe arrival, and 
went to Barcelona, where the Court was," added Nettie. 

" How was he received ? " 

" With great pomp and honors. The very ones who had scoffed at 
him were the first to applaud," answered Hadley. 

"That is generally the way when one makes a great success," ob- 
served Mamma Nelson. " I wonder if you know the story of the egg, 
Josie. " 

" Yes, Mamma Nelson, I do," was the ready answer. " An envious 
man asked if there were not Spaniards enough who might have done 
the same thing. Columbus did not answer, but handed him an egg 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 47 

telling him to make it stand on one end. He could not, neither could 
any of the company do it. Then Columbus coolly struck it on the table, 
slightly crushing the shell, and it stood there easily. ' Any one 
can do that ! ' cried the confused man. ' Certainly, after I have, shown 
the way, and after I have shown a new way to India it is easy for any 
one to follow.' " 

" Did he make any more voyages ? " 

" September 25, 1493, he sailed from Cadiz with seventeen ships, 

manned by fifteen hundred men. This time he discovered Jamaica and 

other islands. His colony in Hayti had been destroyed by the 

wronged natives, but he planted a new one, and called it Isabella, 

in honor of his beloved queen, and it became a permanent settlement." 

" He made his third voyage and discovered the main land of South 
America. Through jealousy he was sent back to Spain in chains, but 
when he got there the queen indignantly ordered him set at lib- 
erty. She died in 1504, and Columbus lost his best friend, for 
the king was jealous and envious of his success," said Nettie. 

"Columbus died May 20, 1506, and after removals his bones were 
allowed to rest in peace at Havana, Cuba. Only a few j-ears ago a 
_. ,_ beautiful monument was erected to his memory in Genoa, in tardv 

11506 1 

remembrance of the navigator who was born there," Ra}^ continued. 

" And is that all about Columbus? Did he have no other children? 
I thought that he had two sons," questioned Josie. 

"So he had," replied Mamma Nelson. "I think that the name of 
the other was Fernando, and that he wrote his father's biography. But 
I was not able to find much about the second marriage. I am very 
much pleased with to-night's lesson, and I expect to hear as much about 
the other explorers. As next Wednesday is a holiday, we will have 
a picnic at Lake Pearl, which some people say was King Philip's Pond, 
before the cruel war of King Philip." 

" Oh, — really and truly, Mamma Nelson ? " breathed Katie. 

"Really and truly, so be here early in the afternoon," smiled 
Mamma Nelson, looking at the circle of eager faces. 




CHAPTER III. 

HO stands next in the line of discov- 
eries ?" asked Mamma Nelson, when the 
class were again assembled. 

"I think that Cabot should come 
first, for he discovered the main land of 
America before Columbus did," answered 
Charlie. 

"I do not know much about him, for the 
accounts which I found do not agree," replied 
Nettie. 

"Then take the encyclopaedia and see what that will say. You 
will find a brief notice of him there," advised Mamma Nelson. 

"Giovanni Cabotto, or Cabot, was sent to the new land of America 
in 1497 to ma -ke discoveries. Nothing is known of his birth or 
death," said Nettie, after a pause. 
" Nor his nationality," added Josie, taking the book. 
" I found that the father's name was John," said Hadley. 
"And so did I, in every history which I looked at," added Ray. 
" But the encyclopaedia says Giovanni, and that his sons, Ludovico, 
Sebastiano, and Sanzio accompanied him. Sebastian, born in Bristol in 
1477, is the only one of the sons mentioned afterwards. June 24, 1497, 
they reached Labrador, making Cabot the real discoverer of America, 
for that was over a year before Columbus saw South America, and long 
before Americus Vespucci made the discovery which gave this con- 
tinent its name. Like all others at that time Cabot was searching 
for a short way to India, and supposed that the land which he found 

really belonged to the Cham of Tartary, but, as he saw no inhab- 

48 



[1497] 



VOYAGES OF EARLY NAVIGATORS. 49 

itants, he took possession of it for the king of England," continued 

Nettie. 

"They started on a second voyage in 1498, and nothing is said 

about the elder Cabot after that, but Sebastian skirted the coast as far 

r. -««-. south as Maryland. The date of his death is not known, but it 
[1498] 

was after 1553, as he helped to open Russian commerce with 

England in that year. It is said that, for more than sixty years, he was 
foremost in European explorations, and that in trying to find the short 
road to India he went within twenty degrees of the North Pole. He also 
visited South America," Ruth said quickly. 

SOUTHERN ROUTE TO INDIA. 

" He was not selfish like other discoverers of that time, for he tried 
to get others to make voyages, too," mused Bennie. 

"And all England did was to send a few vessels every year to fish 
on the banks of Newfoundland, and even in this other nations were more 
energetic," declared Katie. 

" While we are talking about the short route to India, can any of 
you tell me who discovered the southern route, and when ? I thought 
not, as it does not concern our lesson, so I will tell you. His name was 
Vasco de Gama, who sailed around Africa, touched at various points on 
the eastern coast, and arrived at Calicut, India, May 20, 1498," said 
Mamma Nelson. 

" Amerigo Vespucci next !" exclaimed Ray. " I can tell you all about 

him. He was born in Florence, March 9, 145 1. His father was a 

notary, and he was educated by his uncle, who was a monk. 

In i486 he was a trader in Seville, but, excited by the 

success of Columbus, he gave up his business, and set out for the new 

world—" 

"And took all the honors by discovering the main land after others 
did the same thing !" interrupted Ruth. 

" He did not mention Columbus in his reports and he did give an 

earlier date to his discovery," asserted Bennie. 
4 



50 VOYAGES OF EARLY NAVIGATORS. 

"Oh, that has been contradicted. The Germans gave the name of 
America, and he had nothing to do about it," cried Katie. 

" Gasper Cortereal, a Portuguese, explored the coast of Labrador in 
1500, then sailed southward over seven hundred miles kidnapping 
the natives as he went," said Jake. 

"In 1510 the Spaniards made a colony on the Isthmus of 
Darien," said Bessie. 

" What can you say about Ponce de Leon, who was military com- 
mander of Hispaniola, and governor of Porto Rico in 1513 ?" 

STORIES OF A MARVELOUS COUNTRY. 

"He heard that somewhere in the new world, in the midst of a 
marvelous country which was rich in gold and precious stones, there was 
a wonderful spring, whose magic waters would give perpetual youth to 
the fortunate person who should drink of them ! Now he was getting 
to be an old man, and he was eager to fit out vessels to search for this 
spring. He could not find it in the Bahamas, so he sailed farther and 
came to a long, wooded shore, where great trees glowed with bright bios 
soms which filled the air with their fragrance. He landed where St, 
Augustine is now, took possesion of the land for Spain, and named it 
Florida, perhaps because of so many flowers, perhaps because he discov- 
ered it on Palm Sunday (Pascua Florida)," answered Marion. 

"Did he find the wonderful spring, Phinney ?" 

"No," laughed Phinney. "Wouldn't you have thought that a smart 
man like him would have known better? He went back to Porto Rico, 
but returned about 152 1 as governor of Florida. He was mortally 
wounded in a battle with the Indians, and went to Cuba without founding 
a colony, and died there from his wound. Upon his tomb these words 
are engraved : — ' In this sepulchre rest the bones of a man who was lion 
by name, and still more so by nature.' " 

"What of Vasco Nunez de Balboa, Marcclla?" 

"He discovered the Pacific Ocean in 1513, and called it the South 
Sea," replied Marcella. 



VOYAGES OF EARLY NAVIGATORS. 



51 



[1517] " Did anything in the way of discovery happen in the year 1517?" 
"Only that Francisco Fernandez de Cordova discovered Yucatan, 
and the Bay of Campeachy, and was mortally wounded in an attack by 
the natives. The next year his pilot led Grijalva's fleet to the same 
shores, and he carried back the 
gold which aroused the selfish 
ambition of Cortes," replied 
Charlie. 

" Cortes and Pizarro con- 
quered Mexico and Pern, but 

their deeds have 
[1518-1521] 

110 bearing upon 

the history of the United States," 
said Phinney. 



[1520] 




HERNANDO CORTEZ. 



"Who appeared during 
the year 1520?" 

" Fernando de Magellan," 
answered Charlie. " He was 
sent out by Charles V. in com- 
pany with Falero, to try and 
reach the Moluccas by a western 
route. They skirted the shores of Patagonia, went through Magellan 
Strait, discovered and named the Pacific Ocean, touched at the Ladrone 
islands, and reached the Philippines, where Magellan was killed by the 
natives." 

" Magellan was the first man to sail around the world and prove 
that it was round," added Nettie. 

" In the same year Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon, with others, fitted out 
two slave ships and sent them from Hispaniola to the main land to kid- 
nap Indians for slaves," Hadley began. " The natives had not learned 
to be afraid of the white man and crowded the decks to get the presents 
which he offered them. When D' Ayllon thought that he had passengers 
enough, he raised his anchors and sailed away with them. But one of 



52 VOYAGES OF EARLY NAVIGATORS. 

his ships foundered with all on board, and inany of the captives on the 
other died, so they did not make much money out of the expedition. 
Charles V. made D' Ayllon governor of Carolina and he spent his fortune 
in trying to found a colony there but failed, returned to Europe, and 
died of grief and shame." 

" Another account says that he was killed at Chicora, as Carolina 
was called then," said Josie. " It was while he was trying to make a 
colony near where Beaufort is now. The natives remembered what he 
did on his first voyage, but pretended to be friendly. They invited him 
with his men to a feast given by the sachem, and then killed nearly 
every one of them." 

"The whole coast from South Carolina to Newfoundland was ex- 
plored by Juan Verazzani in 1524, and named New France. At Albe- 
riRO/ll mar ^ e Sound he captured an Indian boy, and visited the Vine- 
land of the Norsemen during the voyage," said Ruth. 

" His narrative was the first original account of the coast of the 
United States," added Ray. 

FIRST EXPLORERS IN FLORIDA. 

"Stephen Gomez entered New York harbor in 1525, and named the 

Hudson River the Saint Anthony. Probably that portion of an old 

ni-rti?nSpanish map called the Land of Gomez was named for him," said 
[1525]/ . 
.Bennie. 

" The expedition, led by Pamphilo de Narvaez, landed at Tampa, 

took possession in the name of Spain, and set about to conquer Florida. 

r| ___-.Cabeza de Vaca was second in command. The natives were not 

very friendly, but they showed them gold, telling them that it 

came from a rich country far to the north. They went in search of the 

precious metal, but found neither gold, nor the splendid cities which 

they had hoped to discover. The Indians kept harassing them and their 

provisions gave out. In June they reached the Apalachee, where they 

found only a few miserable huts instead of a great city, and no gold. 

Then they pushed forward to St. Mark's harbor, where they expected to 



VOYAGES OF EARLY NAVIGATORS. 



53 



find their ships, but no ships were to be seen. They constructed boats, 
while living upon their horses and some corn which they seized from the 
natives," said Katie. 

" But tell us, Katie, how did they make boats ? They had no nails," 
interrupted Marion. 

" I can answer you best by reading what Northrop says," replied 




INDIAN WARRIORS. - 

Katie, taking the book from the table. " 'Subsisting upon these sup- 
plies the Spaniards beat their spurs, stirrups, cross-bows, and other 
implements into saws, axes, and nails, and in sixteen days built five 
boats, each more than thirty feet long. Pitch for the caulking of the 
boats w T as made from the pine trees, and the fibre of the Palmetto served 
as oakum. Ropes were made of twisted horse hair and the Palmetto 
fibres, and the shirts of the men were pieced together for sails.' Then 
they sailed for Palmas, which they did not reach. It is thought that 



54 VOYAGES OF EARLY NAVIGATORS. 

one of the boats was wrecked on Galveston Island, where the fleet was 
scattered by a violent storm. Only four reached land, and they were 
captives among the Indians for over six years, when they escaped, and 
passed through the wilderness of Texas and New Mexico, until they 
reached San Miguel on the Pacific. It is said that Vaca became a 
'medicine man' while he was with the Indians." 

r| _ Q "What can you tell me about James Cartier, whom the king of 
France sent out to explore and colonize America in 1534, Jake? " 
" He explored the Gulf and River of St. Lawrence, and saw a 
beautiful Indian village, which he called Mont Real." 

RICHES OF NEW MEXICO. 

"He returned, but did not succeed in founding a colon y, neither did 
Francis de la Roque, who followed him, bringing men and women, from 
the prisons of France, with which to people the new settlement," added 
Bessie. 

"We haven't done with D'Vaca yet, I think," said Bennie. "He 
gave an account of the riches of New Mexico which caused Francisco 
Vasquez Coronado to think agaiu of the seven fabled cities of Combola, 
or the Land of the Buffalo. So he organized two parties, one under 
Pedro de Alarcom, which discovered the Colorado of the West, and went 
up the river more than a hundred miles, where he found taller natives, 
food, pumpkins, beans, corn, and bread made from the pods of the mez- 
quite tree. Diaz, of the other party, explored the same country a short 
time, then was accidently killed, and his men returned home. But 
neither of them discovered the precious stones and gold which they were 
after, and the only cities which they found were the Zuni villages. 
Alarcom told the viceroy that the region was not fit for settlement." 

" Did the Spaniards give up the search for gold then ? " 

" No indeed ! Fernando De Soto was the next to try. He was gov- 
ernor of Cuba, but leaving his wife in charge of that island, he landed 
in Tampa Bay, May 30, 1539. He sent the most of his ships 
back to Cuba, so that his men could not retreat if they wanted to ! 



VOYAGES OF EARLY NAVIGATORS. 



55 



He did not dream of failure, however, for lie had a large army with 

him. Among his outfit were iron collars, chains, and handcuffs for 

his captives, and blood-houuds to hunt them with! He marched across 

the country to Tallahassee, spending the winter at Pensacola, from 

which place De Soto sent to Cuba for more supplies. They enslaved the 

Indians, and put them to death for the slightest offence. Some of the 

guides led them into the swamps and 

were given to the hounds to be torn in 

pieces ! The next spring the march 

was resumed, an Indian telling them 

of a country governed by a woman, 

where plenty of gold was to be found, 

and where the natives knew the art of 

refining it. So they hurried on to the 

Ogeechee, where their guide pretended 

to go crazy, and a captive declared 

that he knew nothing about such a u^ 

rich place as they were in search of. || 

De Soto ordered him burned for lying, 

and kept on, repaying all hospitality 

with cruel injustice." 

"I'll take my turn now, while 
you rest, Katie," interrupted Jake. 
"They traveled on, and reached Mobile in the fall, in the land of Tus- 
caloosa, chief of the Mobilians, known as Black Warrior. A large number 
of braves were assembled to oppose the Spaniards, and a battle of nine 
hours was fought, the Spaniards winning the victory at a heavy cost. 
The town was fired, and the baggage of the Spaniards was burned with 
it, while De Soto was wounded. They spent the winter in a village of 
the Chickasaws, and the next spring De Soto ordered the chief to furnish 
him with two hundred men to carry his baggage. That night, while the 
Spaniards slept, the Indians fired the village, and what had been saved 
before was now destroyed, leaving them as destitute as the Indians were. 




FERNANDO DE SOTO. 



56 VOYAGES OF EARLY NAVIGATORS. 

But, with a courage worthy of a better cause, they re-tempered their 
swords and made lances of ash-wood. Then they went on, discovered 
the Mississippi river, crossed it, explored as far as White River, probably 
reached Tunicas, near the hot springs of the Washita, and passed the 
winter at a town there. They found the natives higher in civilization 
than the wandering tribes which they had met. They had villages and 
cultivated the land. At last it was plain to De Soto that the expedition 
was a failure, and he determined to return by way of the Washita and 
Red Rivers. Just as they reached the Mississippi he died of fever and, 
some say, despair, and his body, wrapped in a mantle, was placed in a 
rude log coffin, loaded with stones, and sunk in the middle of the mighty 
river, so as to conceal his death from the Indians." 

" Did his men keep on ?" 

"They reached Panuco September io, 1543," answered Marcella. 

EXPEDITION WAS LOST. 

"In 1553 Sir Hugh Willoughby tried to reach China by going 

towards the north, alon^ the shores of Norway. He landed in 

ri 5531 

a Lapland harbor, but all perished," said Phinney. 

"Can you tell me anything about the great Huguenot leader of 
France, Admiral Coligny, Charlie?" 

" To provide a new home for his companions, where they could 
worship God in their own way, he secured permission from Charles IX. 
and sent an expedition to America under the command of Jean Ribault, 
in 1562. They built a fort in Port Royal harbor, and Ribault went back 
to France." 

" Did they use the Indians as badly as the others had?" 

" No, they gave them kindness and received kindness in return. As 
Ribault did not bring them supplies they abandoned the place and went 
back to France, but the ruins of the fort were spoken of as late as 1866," 
replied Nettie. 

" Admiral Coligny sent out another expedition under Laudonniere. 
They chose a situation on the St. Johns River where they built a fort, 



VOYAGES OF EARLY NAVIGATORS. 57 

naming it Carolina, like the first. But the greater part of the men 
became disheartened, longed for sudden wealth, took two of the 
vessels, and began a war of piracy against Spain. They were soon cap- 
tured and Laudonniere had the ringleaders hung, but not before the 
Spaniards were greatly enraged. The little colony was on the point of 
starvation when Sir John Hawkins arrived, supplied them with provi- 
sions, and even gave them one of his own ships. His fleet was just from 
the West Indies, where he had sold a cargo of negroes, kidnapped in 
Africa. He was the first English slave trader who brought negroes to 
America. As they were about to leave the place Ribault came with 
reinforcements and supplies to found a permanent colony," said 
Hadley, while all were much interested in the story. 

STRIFE TO OBTAIN FLORIDA. 

"Philip II of Spain was very angry because the French had settled 

in Florida, so he selected Pedro Melendez de Aviles as a suitable man 'to 

have and to hold' Florida for Spain. He was a proper man to send 
|_loboJ 

to exterminate a colony, being under sentence as a criminal when 

he received his commission to go, and very cruel and unscrupulous. He 

arrived there on St. Augustine's day, and named the town which he 

founded St. Augustine, so it is the oldest town in the United States by 

at least forty years. A violent storm wrecked the French vessels, and 

partly disabled the Spanish fleet, so there was no naval combat, but 

Melendez marched upon the defenceless French colony, and killed men, 

women, and children, sick or well, but few escaping to the woods. Those 

who gave themselves up were murdered at once. Laudonniere and a 

few others reached a French vessel and escaped, and France relinquished 

her claims in Florida," added Charlie. 

"Did no more Frenchmen attempt to make colonies there?" 

"Yes. Dominic de Gourgnes went to Florida to drive the Spaniards 

out, but concluded to go himself and let them have it," laughed 

L - 1 Nettie. 

"After 1574 as many as fifty ships came to Newfoundland every 



56 VOYAGES OF EARLY NAVIGATORS. 

year to fish,— think of it ! What a lot ! I wonder how many 



[1574] 



go there now," exclaimed Josie. 
"Under Queen Elizabeth a race of daring sailors sprang up, who 




[1576] 



QUEEN ELIZABETH. 

carried the English flag into every sea. Can you tell me which 



of them carried it to the frozen coast of Labrador in 1576, Hadley ?" 
" It was Martin Frobisher, in search of that northwest passage. 



VOYAGES OF EARLY NAVIGATORS. 



59 



He was a native of Doncaster, but no one knows where he was born. 
He took home specimens of rock which were thought to contain gold. 
A party of speculators sent him back, and he carried home a line load of 




THE RENOWNED EXPLORER, SIR MARTIN FROBISHER. 

yellow earth, — which was found to be worthless. But he made another 
voyage before the idea of gold in Labrador was given up. Afterwards he 
was knighted for his bravery in the fight with the Spanish Armada," re- 
plied Hadley. 

"Sir Francis Drake was the second man to sail around the world. He 



60 VOYAGES OF EARLY NAVIGATORS. 

gained great wealth as a freebooter along the Pacific coast, and his adven- 
__-_-, tures were a series of daring piracy against a nation with which 
his country professed to be at peace. He hated the Spanish and 
his sea exploits were really wonderful. He even burned vessels in the 
harbor of Cadiz, where, as he laughingly said, he ' singed the beard of 
the king of Spain.' " said Ray. 

" Did he discover any of the United States ?" said Ray. 

"He sailed along the east coast of South America, through the Straits 
of Magellan, attacked the Spanish settlements in Peru and Chili, cap- 
tured a Spanish treasure ship, took possession of California, and skirted 
the coast as far north as Washington. He called the whole Pacific coast 
New Albion. When he returned he was knighted by the queen," 

answered Ruth. 

FAMOUS ENGLISH NAVIGATOR. 

"I like to tell the story of good Sir Humphrey Gilbert after that of 
the men who were so cruel in searching for gold," exclaimed Bennie. 
"He watched the fishing industry and thought that it would be better to 
have a colony near the banks, so, with permission from the queen, he 
landed at St Johns, Newfoundland, and took possession for England. 
Losing his largest vessel with all onboard, and with but two vessels left, 
he went on board the smallest one, so as not to expose his men to a 
danger which he would not share, and turned towards home. They were 
encountering a heavy gale when the larger vessel passed the one which 
he was in. He was reading and called to them. 'We are as near 
heaven on the sea as on the land.' That night his vessel went down with 
all her crew, and Sir Gilbert never founded his American colony." 

"That isn't all of that story," cried Katie. "Sir Walter Raleigh was 

Sir Gilbert's half brother, and was interested in that expedition. He was 

^ .„a noble man, and the world owes him a debt, which it never can 
[1584] ...'... ri T . , 

pay, for his services m the cause of humanity. It is he who named 

Virginia, for which he was knighted by the virgin queen. Sir Walter 

Raleigh sent two ships, under Philip Armidas and Arthur Barlow. They 

took a place which the Indians called Secotan, near Roanoke." 



VOYAGES OF EARLY NAVIGATORS. 6l 

"Raleigh made a mistake when Amidas and Barlow returned with 
glowing accounts of the country which they had found. He sent out an 



[1585] 



expedition, composed mostly of adventurers, under the command 



of Sir Richard Greuville, to the place which the first expedition had 
reached. For the supposed theft of a silver cup Grenville ordered a 
village burned, and all the standing corn destroyed, and this awakened 




FROBISHER AND HIS SHIPS PASSING GREENWICH, 
the Indian desire for revenge. Then he left a colony and returned to 
England," said Jake. 

" Was that his last attempt ? " 

" No , as the colonists had no women with them the Indians thought 

that they were not mortal, but they soon found out their mistake. Governor 

Lane went to visit chief Wingins with a large number of men, and 

as a friend. At a given signal the white men attacked and killed 



G2 



VOYAGES OF EARLY NAVIGATORS. 




their entertainers. They got tired of waiting for supplies, and when Sir 
Francis Drake called at the island they went off with him. Two weeks 
later Grenville came with supplies, found the island deserted, left fifteen 
men to hold the place, while he went to England again," answered Katie. 
" The next year Raleigh sent another party to the colonists, and this 
time he sent families, with the hope of making a permanent settlement, 

under John White as Governor. 
These colonists resolved to deal 
justly with their red neighbors. White 
even gave Manteo, an Indian chief, the 
title of ' Lord of Roanoke.' This was 
the first, as well as the last, peer created 
in the United States. Virginia Dare, 
White's grandchild, was born just be- 
fore he returned to England for sup- 
plies. She was the first white child 
born in America — that is, she was the 
first English child born here," said 
Jake. 

"Well, tell me what White 
*■ J did." 

" He stopped at Ireland to leave 
some potatoes, the first ever seen in 
Europe, but he found England on the verge of a war with Spain, and, 
although Raleigh fitted out the ships and sent him back with them, he 
thought that he would take a few Spanish prizes on the way. The result 
was that he got the worst of it and had to return to England," asserted 
Bessie. 

"Did Raleigh try another colony, Phinney?" 

"No, he was beheaded before he had time to make a permanent 
American colony, but, in 1792, the State of North Carolina gave their 
capital city the name of the persevering explorer, who had spent so 
much money in the vain attempt," replied Phinney. 



SIR WALTER RALEIGH. 




CHAPTER IV. 

EXPECTED this last night, but it did 
not come," began Mamma Nelson, entering 
the room with a small express package in 
her hand. 

" It is a surprise, and I never knew it !" 
exclaimed Charlie, and his perplexed face 
plainly told that it was a surprise to him. 
" Nor I ! " Nettie added, half indignantly. 

" Then you can know it with the rest," smiled Mamma Nelson. 
" I noticed that members of the White House Club were more interested 
after they wore their badges, and I thought that the North End History 

Club " 

She opened the package and held up a card which gleamed with 
gold. Upon it were fourteen tiny badge pins, representing the Western 
Hemisphere upon an ocean-tinted enamel ground, and set in frosted gold. 
Such beauties ! 

" I told you so !" cried Charlie triumphantly. 

" One for each of us, and one for Mamma, to kill the effect of that 
unlucky thirteen," added Nettie, taking the card, unfastening the badges, 
and passing them around. 

" And now I shall look for extra good lessons," said Mamma Nel- 
son, when the badges were all in place. "Did the navigators, which you 
have toldme about, sail directly across the ocean to reach the new world ?" 
" No, they followed the track opened by Columbus, by way of the 
Canary Islands. In 1602, Bartholomew Gosnold discovered that he could 
sail directly across the ocean by a much shorter route," began 



[1602] 



Charlie. "He reached Cape Elizabeth, Maine, in seven weeks, 

63 



04 FRENCH AND ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS. 

sailed to Cape Cod, landed, and named it, being the first Englishman to 
stand on New England soil. Later he entered Buzzard's Bay, which he 
called Gosnold's Hope. There he loaded his ships with sassafras roots, 
which he thought a magic cure for all earthly ills, and sailed for England 
without planting a colony." 

" Although France had neglected her claims in America for a long 
time, she now sent out an expedition to attempt a colony, and they dis- 
covered and named the rivers St. Croix and St. John, and went as far 
south as Cape Cod. Now the English claimed all the land as far north 
as Newfoundland, and James L, successor to Queen Elizabeth, divided 
all the territory which he claimed, giving that between Cape Fear and 
the Potomac river, to a company of nobles and merchantmen called the 
London Company ; and that between the Hudson river and Newfound- 
land, to the Plymouth Company, composed of 'nobles and gentlemen' 
in the west of England ; but neither party could settle on the land 
between these grants. Who was first to come to America under these 
patents ? " asked Mamma Nelson. 

SENT OUT BY ENGLISH MERCHANTS. 

" I found that Martin Pring, sent out by the merchants of Bristol, 

reached Penobscot Bay, explored many Maine harbors, also the Saco, 

Kennebec, and York rivers, went to Massachusetts, anchored 

in a harbor in Martha's Vineyard, freighted his ships, and 

returned to England," replied Nettie. 

" The Kennebec river was named for an Indian chief, called 
Kenebis, who owned and sold the land along the river as far as the 
falls," nodded Phinney. 

" Samuel Chamberlain selected the site of Quebec, explored the 
Bay of Fundy and discovered the St. John river," said Josie. 
" And De Monts made the first permanent French settlement at 
Port Royal, Nova Scotia," added Ray. 

" George Waymouth, sent out by the Earl of Southampton and 
Lord Arundel, reached Cape Cod, and sailed along the Maine coast, taking 






FRENCH AND ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS. 



6b 



[1605] 



possession of all the lauds as lie went. He kidnapped five 



[1606] 



Indians, to take to England, ' to be instructed to serve as guides to 
further expeditions,' " said Hadley. 

" George Pophain and others got permission to make a colony, and 
in 1607 the Plymouth Company sent out a hundred planters, with 
Pophain as Governor, with Admiral Raleigh Gilbert. They 
visited Casco Bay, named the Kennebec river the St. George, and 
built a few huts near the 
mouth of it. The winter was 
a terrible one, a great many 
of them perished of cold and 
disease, amongthem Governor 
Popham. At last their store- 
house was burned, and Gil- 
bert received word from Eng- 
land that his brother was 
dead, leaving him a fortune, 
so the settlement was aban- 
doned," Josie told them. 

" Chamberlain made a 
permanent French settlement 

[1608] at 2 uebec ' J uly 6 ' 
1608," Bennie read. 

" Oh, you are too smart!" 
cried Katie. " I guess we will captain john smith. 

hear about the settlement of Jamestown first. The London Com- 
pany sent out a colony to settle in Virginia, and among them was 
John Smith, the most notable man in the early history of America. 
When Captain Newport entered the Chesapeake Bay, he named the 
headlands Capes Charles and Henry, after the sons of King James. He 
named the Powhatan river for the king, explored it, and founded the 
first permanent English settlement. They went up the river as far as 
Richmond is now, making friends with the Indians, and when they 




[1607] 



66 FRENCH AND ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS. 

returned they found the colony in a bad condition. Governor Wingfield, 
who was jealous of Smith, had not built any fortifications, and they 
were soon attacked by a large force of Indians. The settlement was 
saved from utter destruction by the warning of a friendly Indian." 

" Why didn't they have Smith for governor, if he was the best man ?" 
asked Bessie. 

"They did at last," answered Jake. "Newport went back to 
Kngland, more than half the colony died, the men would not work to 
raise corn, and the natives did not feel disposed to supply them. But 
Smith managed to buy some, and forced the men to hunt game. Then 
he was taken prisoner by Opechancanough, a brother to Powhatan, 
while out exploring. His guides were killed, but he was saved by his 
forethought in showing them his compass, the like of which they had 
never seen." 

" Why, I thought that he was condemned to death and saved by 
Pocahontas !" exclaimed Marion. 

LIFE SAVED BY A COMPASS. 

" So he was," laughed Phinney. "But he came very near being 
executed without Powhatan's knowledge, and would have been if he had 
not had that compass. The natives did not know what to make of it, 
and dared not harm him, so they took him to their head chief, visiting 
all the villages from the Chickahominy to the Potomac rivers." 

"For awhile he was prisoner at the home of Opechancanough, where 
the wise men of the tribe held a three days' council about him, perform- 
ing all sorts of incantations over him, but he was so calm and fearless 
that they thought surely he must be some great being, and so carried 
him on to Powhatan to judge. He was treated well enough, but given 
no chance to escape," continued Marcella. 

" Well, I want to know what Powhatan said about it," demanded Ray. 

" Oh, he received him in great state, and the braves set up a shout 
when they saw him," answered Phinney. "They gave him the best food 
they had, and, while he was eating, they began to debate about his fate. 



FRENCH AND ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS. G7 

Although Smith was so cool, and did not seem to notice them, he read 
his doom from their gestures. A great stone was brought in, and laid 
before Powhatan ; Smith was dragged to the spot, and his head laid upon 
the stone, while two burly savages stood by with uplifted clubs." 

"Then Pocahontas saved him," interrupted Marcella. 

"Yes," smiled Charlie. " We all know that story. The little Indian 
madien, who was but ten or twelve years old, darted forward, laid her 
head on his, and waited for them to strike." 

HOW CAPTAIN SMITH WAS SAVED. 

"What did Powhatan do?" inquired Bessie, as eagerly as though 
she had never read the story. 

" What could he do ?" laughed Nettie. "He could not have his 
dear little daughter killed, and she clung to Smith while begging for his 
life. The Indians were astonished at this behavior in one of their 
children, and said that it was the will of the Great Spirit that he should 
not be killed. So they gave him to the child, as a servant, while the 
mighty Powhatan begged him to leave the English and come to live 
with them. He even tried to pursuade him to help them attack the 
colony. Before Smith left them, however, he had secured a treaty of 
peace with the great chief." 

" Was he long with the Indians ? " asked Marion. 

"No, they soon allowed him to go, making .him promise that he 
would send Powhatan two cannon and a grindstone," replied Josie. 

" Did he give them the cannon ? " asked Marcella. 

" Of course not. He showed the Indians who went with him two of 
the largest ones, telling them to lift them, but they could not even lift 
the grindstone. Then Smith had the cannon fired, and they were so 
frightened that they would have nothing to do with them, but he gave 
them other gifts for Powhatan," said Hadley. 

"Did they keep their promise to be friends?" asked Mamma 
Nelson. 

"Yes, Smith's adventure was a blessing to the colonists, for if they 



68 



FRENCH AND ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS. 



had been at war during that winter the people of Jamestown must have 
died of starvation. Now Pocahontas came with corn very often, and 
they were able to buy supplies from the natives, as well as to explore the 
country in safety," answered Charlie. 

"I read a queer thing about Pocahontas, aud that wasn't her name 
at all!" exclaimed Nettie. "Her real name was Matoaka. Powhatan's 
tribe had a superstition that if a person's real name was concealed the 
person could not be harmed, and so they did not tell what her name was.'» 

" What became of her, anyway ?" 
asked Josie. 

" She saved Smith's life more than 
once, and was a true friend to the col- 
ony, yet, for all that, Captain Argall 
took her prisoner and demanded a ran- 
som from her father ! Powhatan would 
W\ not reply, but prepared for war. Then 
the Indian girl was baptized and joined 
the church, in order that she might 
marry an Englishman, named John 
Rolfe, with whom she went to England, 
and was known as the Lady Rebecca at 
the English Court. She died there, 
pocahontas. leaving one son, who came to Virginia 

and was quite influential. Many of the first families in Virginia are his 
descendants," said Hadley. 

" Didn't Smith have a fight with Opechancanough ? " asked Ruth. 
"Yes; he suspected treachery, seized the chief by his scalplock, 
pointed his pistol at him, and vowed that he would exterminate the whole 
tribe if one of his men were hurt," laughed Ray. "Then he told them 
to remember their treaty, that he came as a friend, and good will was 
established — for a time." 

" Thus far the men who had come to people a new land were gentle- 
men and adventurers, with but very few laborers. Smith now wrote to 





CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH OF THE VIRGINIA COLONY 



FRENCH AND ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS. 69 

the company, ' When you send again, I entreat you, rather send but 
thirty carpenters, gardeners, fishermen, blacksmiths, masons and diggers 
of roots and trees, well provided, than a thousand such as we have here 
now.' The Indians taught them how to raise corn, and Smith passed a 
law that ' he who would not work, should not eat.' So the gentlemen 
were forced to plant, cut wood and build houses or — starve ! Did Smith 
do anything else?" asked Mamma Nelson. 

" He explored the country, and sent a map of Chesapeake Bay and 
its tributaries to England. It was published, and is yet in existence, 
r ..and marvelous in its accuracy. He was wounded by an acci- 
dental discharge of gunpowder, went to England for treatment 
and never returned. The success of the colony was due to him, but he 
was repaid with ingratitude," answered Bennie. 

COLONY NEARLY DISBANDED. 

"I guess they learned to appreciate him, for in six months after he 
left, the colony of four hundred and ninety had dwindled down to sixty, 
and these would have perished if Sir Thomas Gates had not 
arrived. They had decided to give up the settlement when 
Lord Delaware came with supplies. Then the emigrants began to be of 
a more thrifty character; live stock was brought out, other colonies were 
made, and the English had secured a firm foothold in America," said 
Katie. 

" But with the increase of white population troubles multiplied 
with the Indians, and as late as 1630 it was ordered by the General 
Assembly that no treaties of peace should be made with them," said 
Charlie. 

"That was but a part of the wars and disputes," said Mamma 
Nelson. "The English and French were always at sword's points with 
each other, and some settlements changed hands so many times that it 
was hard to tell who they did belong to. But, through it all, the work 
of colonization went on, and, step by step, a mighty nation was being 
formed. What happened in 1608 ? " 



70 



FRENCH AND ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS. 



" I told you that Quebec was founded," answered Bennie. "And 
the Jesuits labored among the tribes between the Penobscot and Ken- 
nebec rivers in Maine, not only trying to convert them, but to 
win them as friends, and they succeeded so well that they never 
went against the French during their difficulties with the English." 

"In 1609 Champlain discovered and named Lake Champlain," 



[1608] 



[1609] 



said Jake. 



" Henry Hudson sailed 
for America in 1607, in a 
small vessel manned by only 
ten men and a boy, but they 
only reached Greenland. 
After other unsuccessful 
trials he sighted Maine in 
July, 1609, entered Penobscot 
Bay, passed some days in 
Casco Bay, sailed by Cape 
Cod to Virginia, then return- 
ed and entered New York 
harbor. He ascended the 
river as far as Albany, per- 
haps to the mouth of the 
Mohawk. He thought that 

the great river which bears his name was a strait which led to India. 

Later he discovered Hudson Bay," added Bessie. 

" The Dutch were quick to take advantage of his discovery and 

establish a trading post at the mouth of the river. A bold navigator, 
named Adrian Block, built the first houses on Manhattan Island, 
and gave his name to a small island in the Sound. Then the 

Dutch built trading posts, or forts there, and as far up the river as Fort 

Orange, where Albany now is. Did they make any real settlements? " 
"Not before 1623, when tne Dutch West India Company brought 

emigrants to settle Brooklyn, New York, Albany and Fort Nassau, near 




HENRY HUDSON. 



[1614] 



FRENCH AND ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS. 71 

Philadelphia. Manhattan Island was purchased from the Indians for 
twenty-four dollars, and the settlement was first called Fort Amsterdam, 
then New Amsterdam, and then New York," said Marion. 

" The first Representative Assembly in America met at James- 
town, in 1619, and a month afterwards negro slavery was intro- 
duced into the same town," nodded Phinney. 

" It was at this Assembly that provision was made for the erection 
of the University and College, for the education of the brightest of 
the Indian boys, as well as for the children of the colonists," added 
Marcella. 

" Everyone knows what happened in 1620 — the ' Pilgrim 
Fathers' landed at Plymouth, and founded a nation to be proud 
of," asserted Charlie proudly. 

"I suppose your great-great-grandfather's great-great grandfather 
was one of them ? " laughed Phinney. 

" I don't know about that, but some of our folks were there just 
after the Mayflower came," returned Charlie soberly. 

CHARACTER OF THE PURITANS. 

" Are you proud of it, too, Nettie ? " asked Phinney, turning to her. 

" My ancestors came to Virginia, and I have always heard that the 
Puritans were a hard old set," confessed Jake. 

"I will read you what Ridpath says of the Puritans, and then you 
may say if you would not be proud to trace your ancestors back to 
them, although to tell the truth, I think that the colonists roamed around 
so much that we can claim ancestry from them all. Well, here is what 
Ridpath says : ' The gaze of the Puritan was turned ever to posterity. 
He believed in the future. The system of free schools is an enduring 
monument of his love and devotion ; the printing press is his memorial. 
He was the earliest champion of civil rights, and the builder of the 
"Union." The fathers of New England have been accused of bigotry, and 
the charge is true — it is the dark background of the picture. 

" 'Their religious faith was gloomy aud foreboding. Human life was 



72 FRENCH AND ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS. 

deemed a sad and miserable journey. To be mistaken was a sin. In the 
shadow of such a belief the people became austere and melancholy. 
Escaping from the formality of the Episcopal Church they set up a 
colder and severer form of worship, and the form was made of iron. 
Williams and Hutchinson were banished, the Quakers were persecuted, 
and the witches hung. * * * The evils of the system may well be 
forgotten in the glory of its achievements. Without the Puritans, 
America would have been a delusion, and liberty only a name.' " 

"Perhaps you are justified in being proud of the stern old fellows, 
and you must excuse me, but I can hardly get over that Salem witch 
craze, for all the compliments some historians give them," retorted Jake. 

NOBLE TRAITS OF THE SETTLERS. 

" Well, young people, I think it is unwise to criticise any of the 
early settlers too severely, for they all had their faults, and grievous ones 
they were sometimes ; they all made mistakes, and were slow to 
profit by them ; yet their best traits are in our land to-day, forming and 
controlling the destinies of the nation which their perseverance 
founded," smiled Mamma Nelson. 

"Mamma is right, as she always is ! " declared Charlie, loyally. 

"After the Plymouth Company failed to plant a colony in New 
England some of the Puritans decided to make a home in the new world, 
and got permission of the Company to settle on lands embraced in their 
charter. They had heard wonderful things of America, but had also 
heard of the cruel savages who lived there, yet they braved all and came," 
said Josie. 

"They were abused on account of their religious beliefs, of course, 
but they abused the Quakers and others about as soon as they were settled 
here," declared Bennie. 

"Who were the Pilgrims, anyway?" asked Marcella. 

" They formerly belonged to the Church of England," began Mamma 
Nelson, "but they demanded what they considered a purer form of 
worship, so they were called Puritans. The queen, however, said that 



FRENCH AND ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS. 73 

she was the head of the Church as she was of everything in her kingdom, 
and that all of her subjects should conform to that church, and acknowl- 
edge her supremacy. The Puritans claimed that no earthly sovereign 
had control over men in their religious beliefs, and that it was man's 
right to worship God in the way which pleased him best. Some of the 
best men in the English Church joined them. 

MANY WERE BANISHED. 

"So you can easily see where the trouble began, and, once begun, it 
was very easy to magnify it. If a man refused to obey the queen he was 
banished ; and if he returned without her permission he was put to death. 
So many of them, when exiled, went to Holland and Switzerland. The 
year that James I. ascended the throne more than three hundred were 
exiled or — silenced ! The Puritans held secret meetings, — some exiled 
themselves. Is it any wonder that they were ready to brave everything 
in seeking a new home across the water? Hadley, can you describe the 
landing of the Pilgrims ? " asked Mamma Nelson. 

" What were they armed with ? " asked Bennie. 

" They had flint-lock muskets, called ' snaphance, ' and also match- 
lock muskets, " Hadley began. " They anchored first in Cape Cod 
harbor, and, with Miles Standish in command, a party explored the coast 
for a suitable place to make a settlement. William Bradford's wife was 
drowned while they were at anchor there, and it was the first death 
among them. The exploring party saw some Indians, who were armed 
with bows, arrows pointed with stone and bone, tomahawks and clubs, 
but they were afraid and ran into the woods. Standish pursued them a 
short distance, trying to make them understand that the white men were 
friends, then camped ten miles from the vessel. The next morning they 
followed the trail of the Indians into the woods, where they found baskets 
filled with Indian corn." 

"I have heard that one of Miles Standish's grandsons has the armor 
which he wore then, and that the Plymouth Society claims to have his 
sword," said Marion. 



74 FRENCH AND ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS. 

"I don't know abont the sword ; I suppose he did have one, but I 
wouldn't wonder if all the armor they had was made of snow and ice, 
and don't you think it would be a pretty old grandson who could boast 
of owning that armor, Marion?" laughed Ray. 

"Well, did they find anything more?" asked Ruth. 

" Yes, they found the ruins of a cabin, and an old iron kettle. What 
do you think, Mamma Nelson, was it all that was left of some ship- 
wrecked sailors ?" asked Katie. 

" If you had read on you would have seen that they found the ruins 
of a fort near by. You know both French and English attempted many 
settlements that no mention was made of," replied Mamma Nelson. 

THE HEROES OF THE WILDERNESS. 

"Did the Puritans bring any little children with them?" asked Jake. 

"Of course they did — weren't there families?" answered Bessie. 
"And there was William Brewster, an educated man, who was their 
teacher for a long time." 

" And John Carver, the chief magistrate, who gave his fortune to 
the cause," added Marion. 

" And William Bradford, and Edward Win slow," continued Phinney. 

"And they drew up and signed the first constitution of New Eng- 
land in the cabin of the Mayflower," nodded Marcella. 

"Well, Ave have left those men in the woods, and I wouldn't wonder 
if they would like to have us get them back to the Mayflower," observed 
Bennie. 

"They were lost," began Hadley soberly, "actually lost, and then 
Mr. Bradford was caught in a deer trap, and — " 

"What was that?" demanded Phinney. 

" I suppose it was made like an old fashioned moose trap," said 
Mamma Nelson. u Once, when I was a little girl, we had a very fine 
teacher who went crazy. Before any one knew what was the matter 
with him he did some very queer things, and one of them was to go out 
in the woods barefooted. One day he was caught in one of these traps, 



FRENCH AND ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS. 75 

and had to stay there all night, about half way between the ground and 
the top of a stout young sapling. The trap is a very simple one, and 
is made by bending down a stout young tree, tying a stout rope to the 
top, then placing a slip-noose in the other end of the rope, and fastening 
it so slightly that when any thing enters the noose the top will spring 
up, taking what is in the noose with it. It is generally the foot of an 
animal, but in this case it was the bare foot of a man. Probably that 
was the kind of a trap which William Bradford got into, but he had 
friends at hand ready to help him out." 

"They got plenty of partridges and took them to the vessel, which 
they found after awhile," Hadley went on. "Then they 'rested on 
the Sabbath day.' " 

" Wait a minute and tell us what those Indian storehouses w r ere like, 
Phinney ? " interrupted Ruth. 

HELPED THEMSELVES TO CORN. 

" They were just holes in the ground, holding one or two hogsheads ; 
the corn was husked, dried, placed in the baskets, and put into the holes, 
which were then covered with thickly woven mats," was the response. 

" Did they find a stopping place ? " asked Bennie. 

"Not that time. In three days they returned to the vessel, carry- 
ing more corn. The story is told that some time afterwards they found 
the Indian whose corn they took, and paid him for it," laughed Charlie. 

" On another expedition, they saw deserted wigwams, but no people, 
yet the next morning they were greeted with a shower of arrows," said 
Nettie. 

"Was anyone hurt?" asked Marcella. 

"Yes, a big Indian," she replied. " Staudish saved the party by a 
lucky shot. This big Indian was standing behind a tree, urging on his 
men, and firing arrows. Standish watched until he exposed an arm, 
then he shattered it with a bullet. The Indians gave a loud yell and 
ran away, and not one of the Puritans were hurt, although some of their 
coats were torn by the arrows." 



76 FRENCH AND ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS. 

" At last they decided upon the spot known in history as Plymouth, 
and went back to the vessel to get ready to disembark. One child, Pere- 
grine White was born at sea," said Hadley. 

"Did he live?" asked Bennie quickly. " Didn't the name kill him ?" 

" I guess he lived, I don't know. I think that we never knew much 
about the ' Pilgrim Fathers' before," mused Hadley. ''Think of land- 
ing on a Massachusetts shore in December, with no roof to cover your 
head until you could cut logs and build a house ! " 

"I think that we seldom do appreciate the discomforts and bravery 
of those early settlers until we trace them step by step through the work 
of colonization," replied Mamma Nelson. " If the weather is pleasant 
we will visit Plymouth before another lesson day." 

AN ENTERTAINING STUDY. 

" Mamma makes play of study, doesn't she ? " asked Charlie. 

" Yes, I did hate history, but I like it now. Mamma thought that I 
was sick last night, because I was so very quiet, and all the while I was 
reading history ! " admitted Ray. 

" And I have almost forgotten the library — why I thought that we 
would have to do some hard work to get it, but it is only fun so far," 
declared Marcella. 

" We'll have that library, never fear. My cousin Will says there 
isn't one in the South End class who studies because he wants to ; it is 
just to beat us, and they make the lessons as short as they can. They 
all hate history, he says so, and he is one of them." 

" I will let you know when I decide what day to go. We will take 
a lunch and stay all day if we like. Now good night, young people, 
and pleasant dreams," smiled Mamma Nelson, holding a light at the 
door until the last one disappeared. 




GENERAL HARRISON AND THE INDIAN CHIEF TECUMSEH 




JOHN BROWN'S FORT AT HARPER'S FERRY, W. VIRGIN!, 




EDNESDAY morning was clear and 
pleasant, and, before six o'clock Charlie 
and Nettie had notified the North End 
History Club to be at the station to take the half- 
past seven train. 

Wear your badges, and take a lunch," was 
Charlie's admonition. 

And take a note book," Nettie did not forget 
to add. 

There were interesting things all along the route, in the great south 
station at Boston, and on the steamer which took them " adown the bay." 
"Look, Mamma, I am sure that there is another history club," 
whispered Nettie, pointing to a group not far from them. 

And so it proved. A teacher from Concord was taking her class to 
historic Plymouth. .Later the young people became acquainted. 

"There are just thirteen of them too. But they have no badges," 
Ray told Mamma Nelson. " Their names are Cecil and Hazel Lawrence, 
Ava and Edna Stanton, Mildred Bacon, George, John and Roy Smith, 
Nathan, Susie and Cora Brown, Nellie and Hattie Eames." 

" And I told them all about your stories, Mamma, and— and they 
want to be with us and hear the story of the Puritans, can they ? " cried 
Charlie. 

"Yes, Mrs. Nelson, can we?" the teacher inquired smilingly, 
pausing beside her. "We must introduce ourselves. I am Eleanor 

Whyte, a Concord teacher, and these young people " 

" My young people have told me their names, and I think they are 
already quite well acquainted. My name is Mrs. Nelson, as you have 

77 



78 STORY OF THE PILGRIMS. 

learned, and we should be pleased to have }^ou join our party," responded 
Mamma Nelson cordially. 

"We are almost to Plymouth. — see the town! Can't you almost 
imagine that we are in the Mayflower, and that there are woods all along 
the shore," Hadley shouted. 

" It would take quite an imagination to sweep all these boats from 
the bay, and make a wilderness of all the land in sight. You cannot 
bridge over two hundred and eighty years so easily," laughed Bennie. 

Just then a boy, who had been watching the two parties intently, 
came forward and addressed Mamma Nelson. 

WHERE THE PILGRIMS LANDED. 

" Want a guide, ma'am ? " he asked briskly. " I'll show you every- 
thing worth seeing, and father will take you out to the very place where 
the Mayflower was anchored." 

" Of course we want a guide," nodded Charlie. " Time is money and 
we might save considerable." 

So Miles Standish Jenkins became one of the party. 

" You might go across the bay to Captain's Hill to eat }^our picnic, 
most of 'em do," he said inquiringly, as they took up the lunch baskets 
and went on shore at Pilgrim wharf. Mamma Nelson answered in the 
affirmative, and he added. " There is father, and I will tell him so he'll 
not engage another part}- for the same time." He was soon back exclaim- 
ing in a satisfied way. "It is all right, and be has booked you for one 
o'clock. He will show you Clark's Island where the Pilgrims spent the 
first Sabbath in Plymouth. There is a large flat rock which bears the 
inscription 'On the Sabboth day wee rested.' " 

" I want to know where the brook is, the one which Massasoit 
crossed when he came to see the Pilgrims," exclaimed Ray. 

"We shall cross it. This way ma'am ; first of all you will see Ply- 
mouth Rock," and the guide led the way, stopping before a granite 
structure, shaped like a canopy supported by four columns. "In 1775, 
when they were building wharves here, they tried to raise the rock to 




THE PILGRIMS AT PLYMOUTH. 



79 



80 STORY OF THE PILGRIMS. 

keep it from being covered by the dirt with which they were filling in. 
The top split off, and folks thought that it was a sure sign that the 
colonies were going to break away from England — -just as they did, 
ma'am. They carried the piece to the Town Square and laid it side of 
the Liberty Pole, then it was put in Pilgrim Hall, but it was kind of out 
of place, and at last they put it back where it belongs, and the rock 
looks just the same as it did when the Pilgrims landed." 

" Perhaps it isn't Plymouth Rock at all. Perhaps folks just guessed 
it was," suggested Edna Stanton. 

"Oh, but it is Plymouth Rock," Miles asserted eagerly. "They 
proved that before they put the canopy over it. You want to see Cole's 
Hill, where the Pilgrim's buried their dead that first dreadful winter," 
he added, leading the way up the broad steps to the top of the hill # 
"Here is the place, ma'am, and they planted it with corn so the Indians 
wouldn't know how many they had lost. Some of the bones have been 
washed out, and disturbed in making needed repairs, and these have all 
beeen put in an iron box, and placed in the chamber of the canopy 
above the rock. There has been three forts built on the hill, ma'am." 

TRAINING GREEN AND THE SOLDIERS' MONUMENT. 

Then they passed along through Carver street, to Leyden, which 
was First street ; passed the site of the first building, or " common 
house," back of which gleamed Town Brook ; passed the site of Gov- 
ernor Bradford's house, upon which now stands a large building owned 
by the Mayflower Lodge I. O. O. F. , and passed Pilgrim Spring to 
Training Green, where the guide paused. 

"This is still called the Training Green, but it was a common 
where the soldiers used to drill," he said. " And there is the Soldiers' 
Monument erected in 1869." 

Then they went on to Mayflower street, where in the corner of Rob- 
inson street, stands Watson's Hill, now covered with houses, but once a 
favorite Indian resort, called Cantauganteest. Continuing along Robin- 
son street to Market street, they reached Leyden street again, and found 



STORY OF THE PILGRIMS. 



81 



Burial Hill, which has been a cemetery since the earliest years of the 
town. There they found the last resting places of all the Mayflower 
emigrants who survived that first terrible winter, also the tablets which 
mark the sites of the Old Fort and the Watch Tower. 

" This is the oldest cemetery in New England," said Miss Whyte 
softly, as they left the sacred spot. 

" I suppose you want to visit Pilgrim 
Hall next;" and the guide led the w r ay 
past the beautiful Court House, to the 
building of Puritan relics. 

" Here is a clock, once owned by 
Governor Hancock, and it is keeping 
time yet ! That's the kind of clocks to 
have ! " exclaimed Cecil. 

" And see the paintings and por- 
traits !" added Hazel. 

"Is this a model of the May- 
flower ? " demanded Charlie. 

"Yes, and what queer chairs ! And 
here is Peregrine White's cradle," said 
Nettie. 

' ' I am most interested in these," 

said Ava, pausing before the Alden GOV ernor^ewster'S chair. 

case. " See, here is John Alden's Bible, 

and his halberd, and several papers with his own handwriting on them." 

" But here is the sword of Miles Standish," exclaimed Hadley. 
" It has quite a history, too. It is a Damascus blade, and Professor 
James Rosedale was the first one who could read the lettering on it. 
He says that that sword was made two or three hundred years before the 
Christian era, — and that it might be a great deal older than that." 

"I have heard that it came to Miles Standish from the Crusaders, 
and had quite a lengthy history before it was brought to America," 
added Miss Whyte. 




82 



STORY OF THE PILGRIMS. 



" Here is an old kettle owned by Miles Standish, and it looks like 
the one Mamma has flowers in at home," ejaculated Mildred. 

" And some embroidery done by his daughter Lorea — it is pretty 
good, too," said Josie, critically. 

" In the Winslow case you will find the great oak chair and massive 
table used by Governor Winslow," the guide told them. 

'Yes — and — oh, so many things 
that we cannot half see them," 
sighed Bennie. 

" When you are through here we 
will visit the National Monument to 
the Forefathers. The corner-stone 
was laid in 1859, but it was not finished 
until 1889," said the guide, leading 
the way. ' ' You see it is all made of 
granite, because the United States is 
like granite — so firm and enduring ! " 
" There is one other place that I 
want to visit before we leave, and that 
is the Plymouth Book Store, to get 
souvenirs," said Miss Whyte. 

" All right, and father will be 
ready by the time you are," answered 
Miles, readily. 

" Plymouth is quite a summer resort, its library contains over eleven 
thousand volumes, and its schools are the best in the state. The roads 
are macadamized, and the principal sidewalks are concreted," Mamma 
Nelson remarked. 

" It was quite a fishing town, but manufactories have taken the place 
of that industry, and cranberries are cultivated extensively,'' added Miss 
Whyte. 

" Would you like to see the old houses? The oldest one was built 
in 1666," asked Miles. 




CHAINED BIBLE, TIME OF JAMES I. 



STORY OF THE PILGRIMS. 83 

" No, but as we go back, I will stop at Pilgrim Hall and copy the 
Compact signed in the cabin of the Mayflower — the first constitution of 
New England, " answered Mamma Nelson. " It is upon a slab, upon the 
north side of the building, together with the names of the signers." 

And this is what it was, with the original spelling. 

COMPACT SIGNED ON THE MAYFLOWER. 

" In the name of God, amen, we whose names are underwritten, the 
loyall subjects of our dread sovereigne Lord, King James, by the grace 
of God, of Great Britaine, Franc, and Ireland king, defender of the faith 
&c, haveing undertaken, for the glorie of God, and advancemente of the 
Christian faith, and honor of our king and countrie, a voyage to plant 
the first colonie in the Northerne parts of Virginia, doe by these presents 
solemnly and mutually in the presence of God, and one of another, cov- 
enant and combine ourselves together into a civill body politick, for our 
better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid ; 
and by vertue hereof to enacte, constitute and frame such just and equall 
laws, ordenances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as 
shall be thought most meete and convenient for the general good of the 
colonie, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In 
witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Codd, 
the nth of November, in the year of the raigne of our sovereigne lord, 
King James of England, Franc and Ireland the eighteenth, and of Scot- 
land the fifty-fourth, Ano Dom 1620." 

At the bookstore the young people exchanged gifts, and when they 
left each one wore as a stick-pin, a silver representation of the Mayflower, 
while Miss Whyte and Mamma Nelson each had a paper-weight, a model 
of Plymouth Rock. They found a boat in readiness at the wharf, and 
soon stood upon the summit of Captain's Hill, where they rested on the 
porch of the Standish House, built by a son of the redoubtable captain in 
1666. 

" Now young people, attention," began Mamma Nelson, after the 
lunch had been disposed of. " Tell me where the Pilgrims landed ?" 



84 STORY OF THE PILGRIMS. 

"Why, at Plymouth Rock, of course," ejaculated Charlie. 

"It has been called the Blarney Stone of America," added Nettie. 

" That was December 22, 1620, and before March forty-four of their 

number were dead of cold and exposure. At one time in that dreadful 

winter there were only seven persons well enough to wait on the 

sick and bury the dead. The Mayflower sailed for home in 

March, 1621, and in spite of the terrible winter, not one of the Pilgrims 

wanted to go back in her," continued Hadley. 

" Can you tell me how many families landed at Plymouth ? " 

" Nineteen," answered Josie promptly. 

"John Carver, his wife and son were among those who died, and 
William Bradford was chosen as Governor. Rose, the wife of Miles 
Standish, ' ye warlike captain of Plymouth,' was one of the first victims. 
He soon thought that it was not good for man to be alone, and you all 
know the story of his courtship," said Mamma Nelson. 

DESCRIPTION OF MILES STANDISH. 

u I wonder what sort of a man he was," mused Ruth. 

" Miles Standish 

"Short of stature was he, but strongly built and athletic, 
Broad in the shoulders, deep chested, with muscles and sinews of iron. 
Brown as a nut was his face, but his russet beard was already 
Flaked with patches of snow as hedges sometimes in November," 
Ray quoted. 

" But John Alden was young and very handsome, and was secretly 
in love with Priscilla Mullins, whom the captain had selected as the 
successor of Rose. And, realizing that age and the hardships of war 
had made him less attractive, Miles Standish said to his handsome 
young friend : 

( I am a maker of war and not a maker of phrases, 
You, who are bred as a scholar, can say it in eloquent language, 
Such as you read in your books of the wooings and pleadings of 
lovers, 



STORY OF THE PILGRIMS. 



85 



Such as you think best adapted to win the heart of a maiden,'" 
added Bennie. 

"Poor John tried to excuse himself," Katie continued, "but the 
rough old soldier would take no excuse, so he went on his errand. He 
pleaded the cause of his friend faithfully, and Priscilla listened, mischief 
sparkling in her down-cast 
eyes. When he had finished 
she glanced up shyly and 
asked: 'Why don't you 
speak for yourself, John ? '" 

"You can read the 
Courtship of Miles Standish 
and you will learn how John 
remained true to his friend, 
who went about this time to 
meet the hostile Indians ; of 
the insolent Wattawamat, 
who fell by the knife of the 
angry captain ; of Pecksuot, 
who was killed by a bullet 
from the guns of the Pil- 
grims ; and as the head of 
Wattawamat was set on a pole 
in Plymouth, Priscilla was 
very glad that she had not 
married the warlike captain. 
Weeks passed and the news 

came that Miles Standish priscilla. 
was dead, killed by a poisoned arrow, then John and Priscilla were mar- 
ried, when " Mamma Nelson paused and looked around inquiringly. 

" ' Lo, when the service was ended, a form appeared on the 
threshold, 
Clad in armor of steel, a sombre and sorrowful figure. 




86 STORY OF THE PILGRIMS. 

Why does the bridegroom start and stare at the strange apparition ? 
Why does the bride turn pale and hide her face on his shoulder ? 
Is it a phantom of air, — a bodyless, spectral illusion ? ' 
No, it was Miles Standish himself who advanced and grasped the 
hand of John Alden, who walked upon one side of the bride, as she rode 
to her new home upon the crimson saddle of the snow-white bull," said 
Jake. 

" And here we are on Captain's Hill, where Miles Standish passed 
the last days of his life I" exclaimed Bessie. 

" He got married a second time, if he didn't get Priscilla, and his 
second wife was a sister of his first one, who came to America later, — or so 
I read," said Marion. 

" Hobbomak, the friendly Indian, whom we shall soon hear about, 
served him for twenty years " added Marcella. 

GROWTH OF PLYMOUTH COLONY. 

" Phinney, can you tell me when he died? " asked Mamma Nelson. 

" October 3, 1656, and his descendants are numerous," was the 
answer. 

" Now will you see the monument?" asked the guide. " It was 
erected by his descendants, August 17, 187 1, and many distinguished 
persons were present." 

After the monument had been inspected Mamma Nelson went on : 
" What happened in the spring ? " 

" The settlers became more cheerful. Their houses, a storehouse 
and a church had beeu built, the church being very strongly made, a 
fortress as well as a church, with four cannon mounted on the top of it. 
They prepared the ground for planting, and lived by fishing and hunt- 
ing through the summer of 162 1, which has been called a starving time, 
but they did not want for food after that first harvest," answered Charlie. 
" ^ ne ^ a y * n March they were much surprised and startled to 
see an Indian walk boldly into the village, but they were more 
amazed when he greeted them in English, saying : ' Welcome, English- 



STORY OF THE PILGRIMS. 87 

men.' He belonged to a tribe living between Providence and Taunton, 
and had learned a few English words of the fishermen," said Nettie. 

"Can you tell me any more about him, Hadley ?" 

" He told them of a Captain Hunt who had been kidnapping natives, 
all along the New England coast, and that the Indians were angry with 
all white men because of it. He said that, some time before, a pesti- 
lence, something like our yellow fever, had swept among the tribes from 
Narragansett Bay to the Penobscot river, and many had perished. That 
they could possess the land where they were in peace, for the red men 
who had lived there were gone. He remained all night and went away to 
his people in the morning, taking the presents which the settlers gave 
him, "he replied. 

" Was that his last visit, Josie ? " 

KIDNAPPED AND SOLD IN SPAIN AS A SLAVE. 

" No, indeed ! He was of great service to them after that. In a few 
days he came back, and with him was an Indian named Squanto, who 
had seen enough of the white man to make him hate the race, but he 
was always a friend. He was kidnapped by Hunt, taken to Spain, and 
sold as a slave. He was purchased and treated kindly by an English- 
man, who sent him back to his own land as soon as he could," replied 
Josie. 

" Well, what did they have to say ?" 

" They told the Pilgrims that the great Massasoit, with his brother 
Quadequina, and sixty warriors of the tribe, were coming to pay them 
a visit," said Ray. 

"Weren't the Pilgrims afraid ? " 

"That would do them no good, but Captain Standish would not let so 
many come to the village, and the governor sent Edward Winslow to talk 
with them, taking a copper necklace to Massasoit, and some bread and 
butter to his brother ; Squanto acted as interpreter," added Ruth. 

"Was Winslow well used?" 

"Yes, but he was obliged to stay with the warriors while Massasoit 



88 STORY OF THE PILGRIMS. 

went to see the governor, as a pledge of safety for the chief. Standish 
met him with all the ceremony that he could, and almost the first thing 
that he did was to offer to pay for the corn which they had taken from 
the Indian storehouses the year before, and they did pay the bill when 
it was presented. — perhaps it wasn't the right Indian though ! " said 
Bennie. 

" What kind of a man was Massasoit, the great Indian chief? " 

A NOBLE SPECIMEN OF THE RED MEN. 

"John S. Abbot says of him : — ' He was a remarkable man, majestic 
in stature, in the prime of life, of grave and stately demeanor, reserved in 
speech, and ever proving faithful to his obligations. He wore a chain of 
white bone beads around his neck, and a little bag of tobacco, from which 
he smoked and presented to his white friends to smoke with him. His 
face was painted of a deep red color, and that, as well as his hair, was 
oiled until it was glossy.' It is supposed that he had a large family, but 
only two sons, Philip and Alexander, are known in history," replied 
Katie. 

" Did he agree to be friendly with the newcomers ?" 

" Yes, and he kept the treaty until his death — nearly fifty years ! 

The chief pledged himself that his people should not harm the settlers ; 

if any of the lawless ones did so they should be given up for punishment, 

and he would immediately send word to his confederate tribes, advising 

th^m to observe the treaty which he had made. He and the governor agreed 

that stolen property, on either side, should be restored, and that when 

either party visited the other they should go unarmed," said Jake, 

"Did any more of them visit the settlement at that time?" 

" After Massasoit went back to his followers, Quadequina made them 

a visit. Winslow was released, and the Indians withdrew to the forest, 

except Samoset and Squanto, who remained at the settlement. Both the 

white and the red men watched the night through, for neither party 

appears to have had much faith in the other. Then Massasoit came 

and camped near by, and visits between them were frequent, each side 



STORY OF THE PILGRIMS. 89 

strictly observing the condition in the treaty, and going unarmed," 
answered Bessie. 

" Marion, we have heard a little about Squanto, can you tell us 
anything more ? " 

" He was thought by the Puritans to be a ' special instrument sent 
of God for their good beyond their expectation.' He taught them how 
to raise corn, putting one or two fish in each hill to fertilize it, and how 
to hunt and fish. He was their interpreter and always a true friend. 
Hobbomak was another friend to the white man, and once he and Squanto 
were taken prisoners by Corbitant, one of Massasoit's under chiefs, who 
was not friendly. Hobbomak escaped, and took the news to Standish, 
saying that Corbitant was about to kill Squanto when he left, so that the 
white man would ' lose his tongue ' and could make no more treaties," 
was the response. 

" Did he kill him ? " demanded Bennie. 

" No ; a party was sent to rescue him, or to punish his murderer, 
but they found him alive. Massasoit was satisfied then that he could 
rely upon the friendship of the white man, and Corbitant was frightened 
into making a treaty with them himself," laughed Phinney. 

A POWERFUL AND WARLIKE TRIBE. 

" Did they have trouble with any other chief? " 

"Canonicus, chief of the Narragansetts, was an enemy to Massasoit, 
and was not disposed to make friends with the settlers. The Narragan- 
setts were a powerful and warlike tribe, and thought that they could 
easily conquer all other people. So Canonicus sent a challenge of defi- 
ance to the Puritans, — a bundle of arrows, wrapped about with a rattle. 
snake skin. Governor Bradford snatched the arrows from the skin, filled 
it to the jaws with powder and balls, and sent it back. The Indians 
imagined that it was a witch charm, and it was taken from one place to 
another, no one daring to keep or destroy it, until it came back to 
Plymouth, as full as when it went away," replied Marcella. 

" What effect did it have ? " 



90 STORY OF THE PILGRIMS. 

" Canonicus was frightened by Governor Bradford's stern manner, 
and by the witch, charm which he sent, and soon he wanted to make a 
treaty of peace also, and the Puritans were only too willing to oblige 
him !" said Charlie. 

" What happened while Captain Standish was away to see about 
helping the settlement at Weymouth, which had gotten into trouble with 
the Indians ?" asked Mamma Nelson. 

" Massasoit was taken very ill, and Winslow and Hampden, with 
Hobbomak as guide, went to see him. They found his lodge filled with 
'medicine men,' all making the most hideous noises to drive away the 
evil spirit of death. Winslow turned them all out, and relieved the 
chief by giving him some simple medicines and quiet. Soon he was able 
to sit up and eat, and the Indians were as awed as they were pleased at 
his recovery," continued Nettie. 

REMARKABLE RECOVERY OF MASSASOIT. 

"Yes, I read that Winslow even made him a broth of pounded corn, 
strawberry leaves, and sassafras root, well boiled, and then he strained 
it through his handkerchief ! Think of it ! The chief recovered very 
rapidly, and begged Winslow to visit all the sick in the village, and give 
them the same remedies. Before Winslow did so he was fortunate enough 
to shoot a duck with which to flavor the broth ! Massasoit' s recovery 
was so remarkable that Indians came a hundred miles to prove the truth 
of it, and Massasoit said : — ' Now I see that the English are my friends 
and love me. And while I live I will never forget this kindness which 
they have shown me,' and he never did. This incident had great influ- 
ence, as showing the power of the white man, and it was very fortunate 
that Massasoit was not dangerously ill," added Hadley. 
" What more can you tell me about the Pilgrims ? " 
" The settlement increased rapidly, and many influential men joined 
them. Thayer says — ' Why did the Pilgrim Fathers land on the bleak 
shores of New England instead of on the coast of California ? Why 
seek their fortunes among the rocks of Plymouth instead of among the 



STORY OF THE PILGRIMS. 91 

gold mines of the Pacific coast ? The same haud that guided them to 
the rock-boimd shores of the Atlantic might have led them to the gold- 
fretted shores of the Pacific. But on this continent was to be built up 
the richest, largest, most intelligent and powerful Christian nation on 
earth. A fearless, self-sacrificing, intelligent, hardy Christian race, 
disciplined by hardships and perils indescribable, could alone lay the 
foundations and work out the grand problem. Hence rocks were better 
for them than nuggets of gold. All the conditions indicate that in the 
Divine plan it was absolutely necessary to lay the foundation in granite 
that the superstructure might be finished in gold,' " said Josie. 

STORY OF THE FIRST THANKSGIVING DAY. 

"What became of the settlement at Weymouth ?" 

"Some of them went to Plymouth, and made considerable trouble 
there, while others went back to England. The settlement was given 
up," answered Ruth. 

" The Pilgrims gathered an abundant harvest in the fall of 1623. 
" Can you tell me anything about the first Harvest Festival, or 
Thanksgiving Day of New England ? " 

" I could tell it, but I think that Edward Winslow's letter to a friend 
in England will describe it better than I can," said Ray. " He said : — 
' Our harvest being in, Governor Bradford sent four men out fowling, so 
that we might, after a special manner, rejoice together after we had 
gathered the fruits of our labors. They four, in one day, killed as many 
fowls, as, with a little help outside, served the company at least a week. 
At which time, among other recreations, we exercised our arms, and 
among the rest was their greatest king Massasoit, with ninety men, 
whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and 
killed four deer, which they brought to the plantation, and bestowed on 
our governor, and the captain, and others,'" said Bennie. 

" And was that the beginning of our Thanksgiving ?" demanded Ray. 

" I suppose that it was," returned Mamma Nelson. " It became a 
yearly custom for the people of New England to meet and ' thank God 



92 STORY OF THE PILGRIMS. 

with all their hearts for the good world and the good things in it.' And 
what was at first just a New England custom became a national festival. 
In 1627 the Pilgrims freed themselves from the company which sent 
them out, divided the stock and lands of the community, (each man own- 
ing his own privately) and made laws. Can you tell me anything about 
them?" 

" They were very simple," returned Hadley. "The Pilgrims had 
no charter, but had to depend on their own resources. They had a gov- 
ernor chosen by the votes of all the settlers. A council of five men at 
first, then seven, helped him in governing. All of the men were a legis- 
lative body, and met at stated times to enact laws. Very often the gov- 
ernor would assemble them to ask their advice upon important matters. 
When a number of towns had been added to the colony each one sent a 
representative to a general court at Plymouth." 

THE NEW NATION IN THE WILDERNESS. 

" And so through all opposition and danger and trials a new nation 
was founded in the wilderness," said Mamma Nelson. " As Governor 
Bradford said, almost in a spirit of prophesy : ' Out of small beginnings 
great things have been produced by His hand, that made all things out 
of nothing ; and as one small candle will light a thousand, so the light 
here kindled hath shown to many, yea, to a whole nation.' " 

There was a moment's pause broken by Miss Whyte, who asked : 
" Is that the way that you study, Mrs. Nelson ? " 

"Yes," answered Mamma Nelson smilingly, "but we do not call it 
study." 

" It is just play," asserted Katie. 

" I don't want to hurry you, ma'am, but your boat will be ready to 
start by the time we reach Pilgrim Wharf," said the guide. 

" And we have had such a pleasant day ! " sighed Cecil. " I say, we 
will all come over and see you win that library." 

" Will you ? We shall be glad to see you," returned Charlie. 

" Then you may expect us," was the emphatic answer. 




ADMIRAL JOHN PAUL JONES 



STORY OF THE PILGRIMS. 



93 



" And I know that we shall tell Mr. Harland all that he wants to 
know of the Plymouth of to-day, but it is rather hard to believe that we 
have stood just where the Pilgrims landed, and looked at the place where 
the Mayflower rode at anchor ! " exclaimed Nettie. 

At Boston the two parties separated, and a very silent thirteen took 
the western train. Bennie uttered the sentiment of all when he said to 
Mamma Nelson at the home station: "If we don't get the library, 
Mamma Nelson, we shall be awful ungrateful to you." 





CHAPTER VI. 

WISH we were going to Plymouth again to-day," 
sighed Bessie, when the North End History Club 
were again assembled for a lesson. 

"We cannot have pleasure and profit trips 

every day," smiled Mamma Nelson. "And what 

we will learn right here at home will be 

just as important. What settlements were 

begun in 1622?" 

"Sir Ferdinand Gorges and John Mason were 
granted a patent for the region called Laconia, which 
was the whole country between the sea, the St. 
Lawrence river, the Merrimac, and the Kennebec rivers, lands now 
partly in Maine and partly in New Hampshire. Colonies were estab- 
lished at Portsmouth, Dover, and two or three other places, but they were 
more like trading posts than settlements, and in 1643 Portsmouth did 
not have more than fifty or sixty families," replied Charlie. 

" In 1 63 1 they divided their grant, Gorges naming his lands Maine, 
and Mason calling his New Hampshire," added Bennie. 

" I think that the first Indian war was in this year. Can you tell 
me how it was? 

"Powhatan was dead, and Opechancanough, who was leader of the 
tribe, was an enemy to the white men," Nettie began. 

" But his tribe was friendly to the whites ! " interrupted Marion. 
"They pretended to be, but the wily chief was resolved to exter- 
minate them. The Indians set a day when the scattered settlements were 
to be attacked. Jamestown was saved by a friendly Indian, who gave 

them warning the night before, but the alarm could not be sent to some 
94 



THE INDIAN WAR 



95 



of the settlements, and some who were warned were not strong enough 
to withstand an attack. In an hour's time three hundred and forty-seven 
men, women, and children were slain, the distant plantations being 
entirely destroyed, and only eight out of eighty remaining. London 
sent assistance, private persons sent money, and, in the goodness of his 
heart, King James sent a lot of muskets which had been condemned as 

worthless in England ! " said Hadley. 
" I can tell you a story about that 
time," cried Josie. " A hungry Indian 
boy, some time before that, was fed, 
clothed, and kept in the family of one 
of the settlers for quite awhile. Their 
house was burned while the father was 
away, and the wife and children were 
taken prisoners. Probably they were 
intended for torture. The Indian boy, 
now a warrior, claimed them as his 
slaves, treated them kindly, and sent 
them home as soon as he could safely 
do so." 

" For ten years the white men 
resolved to ' destroy the Indians en- 
tirely, or drive them into the interior.' 
Indian child in cradle. At last James revoked their charter, 

and declared that Virginia was a royal province, although he did not 
interfere with their privileges," said Ray. 

"The Dutch West India Company sent over thirty families in 

1623, tne most of whom settled on Manhattan Island, and the settlement 

was called New Amsterdam ; more of them ascended the river 

and settled around Fort Orange," said Ruth. 

"In the' same year another party ascended the Delaware, then 

called South river, and built Fort Nassau," added Bennie. 

" Minuits bought the island of Manhattan for twenty-four dollars, 




[1623] 



96 THE INDIAN WAR. 

and the colony prospered under his rule, although they were 
obliged to send to England for everything which they used, and 
could not even make cloth for their own use," said Katie. 

" I wish that we knew how they lived in those days," mused 
Bessie. 

" Yes ; what did they do ? " asked Marion. 

"I can read you a description of the old Dutch houses. I found it 
in an old book last night," said Jake. " They were low, built of brick, 
with projecting eaves to make a veranda on the front side, the back roof 
coming to within eight feet of the ground. Sometimes there were dormer 
windows in front. There were tin gutters, with spouts at the ends to 
conduct the water to casks on the ground. The shutters were solid 
wood, and there was a huge chimney at each gable end. The front door 
was divided into upper and lower sections, the upper half serving the 
purpose of an open window. Heavy brass knockers and spoon-shaped 
latches were upon the doors. Long wooden seats faced each other upon 
the stoop, which was used as a reception and sitting room in the sum- 
mer. In the interior heavy oak beams crossed the ceilings, panelled 
wainscots were common, and sometimes tiles were used. The jamb of 
the great fireplace was usually faced with blue and pink tiles, upon 
which Bible scenes were often represented. Dip candles were used when 
the fire did not give light enough. 

CURIOUS OLD CHAIRS. 

"Some of the chairs were rush-bottomed, perhaps with bright red 
cushions ; others were of mahogany with claw feet and high backs, often 
cushioned with brocade. Chintz curtains hung at the windows, and 
deal tables sat against the bare walls. The great kitchen was the living- 
room, but there was a back kitchen for the servants, who were generally 
negro slaves. The deep, dark cellar was the storeroom. Farmers 
raised their own meat, bread, vegetables and fruit, and the thrifty wife 
knew how to prepare and keep the good things which her husband pro- 
vided. She also spun linen and woolen cloth for the use of the family. 



THE INDIAN WAR. 97 

There was a mahogany secretary in every house, with polished brass 
handles, quaint pigeon holes and secret drawers. 

" The bedsteads were generally huge corded ' four posters,' with 
ticks stuffed with sweet straw upon the ropes, and dowuy feather beds 
U* on them, and there was a low ' trundle bed ' for the children, which 
was pushed under the large bed during the day. In cold weather, when 
water would freeze in the basins, the linen sheets were warmed by a 
great brass ' warming pan' filled with glowing coals." 

"I think it would have been fun to live in those days," mused 
Marcella. 

" Pho ! Think of the wood a boy would have to chop — do coal ! " 
ejaculated Phinney. 

rifi9»"l ' ' * n X ^ 2 ^ sstt ^ emeuts were made near Quincy, Mt. Wallaston 

and Cape Ann," said Charlie. 
[1629] ' How was the country around Boston settled in 1629?" 

ARRIVAL OF EMIGRANTS FROM EUROPE. 

" In the year that Kndicott founded Salem one Thomas Walford, a 
blacksmith, lived in a cabin in Charlestown ; a clergyman, named 
William Blackstone, lived opposite ; Bast Boston was occupied by Samuel 
Maverick ; and, to the south, scattered along the shore, were fishermen 
and fur traders," replied Nettie. 

"About a thousand emigrants, with horses, cattle, and goats, came 

from Europe in 1630. They stopped at Salem and sent the vessels back 

rifi^ni *"° r su PP^ es ' but man y of them did not like the location, and made 

settlements at Lynn, Charlestown, Dorchester, Newtown, Roxbury, 

Watertown, and Maiden," added Josie. 

" Many of these newcomers were 'men of high endowments, and 
large fortune ; scholars, well versed in the learning of the times ; and 
clergymen who ranked among the best educated in the realm.' But they 
were not used to the hardships which they had to endure, and many of 
them died," Hadley concluded. 

" Winslow had been chosen governor, and lived in Charlestown at 

7 



98 THE INDIAN WAR. 

first, but to obtain better water, he and several others nioued over and 
took possession of Shawinut peninsula, where they founded a d named 
Boston, and organized the first church of that city," said Ray. 

"When did Roger Williams come to America?" 

"In 1 63 1, and became a teacher in Salem. He was about twenty-? 
four years old, and I found this description of him ; — 'lovely in his car-' 
r ^ a £ e ' g°dly> and zealous, having precious gifts, was this young ' 
minister.' He had learned lessons of liberty and toleration from the 
great Sir Edward Coke, with whom he was a favorite pupil," answered 
Ruth. 

"Yet the Puritans did not seem to like him overmuch." 

WILLIAMS WELCOMED BY MASSASOIT. 

" No, because 'he held views far in advance of that time, and was 
exiled on account of his independence of thought and his plain speaking.' 
But rather than return to England he went away into the wilderness 
Diie, and was often without food or fire, and with only a hollow tree for 
shelter. But the man who was driven into exile for respecting the 
rights of others, no matter what their color or creed, found friends among 
the Indians. Massasoit welcomed him, and the fierce Canonicus 'loved 
him as a son,' " said Jake. 

" Didn't he found Providence?" asked Marcella. 

" Not at first," replied Bennie. " He intended to settle at Seekonk, 
on the Pawtucket river, but found that the place was within the limits 
of Plymouth Colony. Then he chose the site of Providence, and gave 
it that name, saying; — ' I desire that it may be for a shelter for all 
persons distressed for conscience's sake.' " 

"I thought that the Indians gave him lands !" exclaimed Katie. 
"So they did; Canonicus and Miantonomoh gave him a large tract 
but ' he gave away his lands to those whom he thought most in need until 
he gave it all.' He asserted the great doctrine of intellectual liberty, 
and made it the corner-stone of a political constitution," said Phinney. 

" What form of government did he use in his colony ? " 



THE INDIAN WAR. 



99 



" Providence was governed by all of the people living there, and ever}' 
one was answerable to God alone in matters of religion, and all creeds 
were tolerated and protected. Although the settlement grew slowly it 
was blessed with peace and prosperity," returned Charlie. 

" Didn't any of the Massachusetts Colony ever go to see him ? " asked 
Marcella indignantly. 

" Some of the lead- 
ers, studying the prin- 
ciples to which his life 
testified, began to re- 
call his many virtues, 
and Governor Win- 
throp visited him " an- 
swered Nettie. 

" Land, very nearly 

the size of what Mary- 

i-.««~-, land now is, 
[1632] 

was given to 

'Lord Baltimore, his 
heirs and assigns, sub- 
ject to the crown,' at 
a yearly rental of two 
Indian arrows arid one- 
fifth of all the gold 
and silver ore that he 
found. What did he 
do?" 

"In 1632 he sent out Cecil, second lord Baltimore. 

emigrants to settle under command of his brother, Leonard Calvert 
who gave the Indians axes, knives, hoes, and cloth for the lands. The 
squaws taught the white women how to cook maize, and the warriors 
taught the white men how to hunt their game, so the colon}' began 
with the promise of peace," replied Hadley. 




LofC. 



100 THE INDIAN WAR. 

" It was in 1632 that Wouter Van Twiller was governor of New 
Amsterdam, and I found such a funny description of him I want to read 
it to vou," laughed Josie, opening the book. " ' He was exactly five feet 
and six inches tall, and six feet five inches in circumference. His head 
was a perfect sphere, and of such stupendous dimensions that Dame 
Nature, with all the ingenuity of her sex, was puzzled to construct a neck 
capable of supporting it, and settled it firmly on the top of his back-bone, 
just between his shoulders. His body was oblong and very capacious at 
the bottom, which was wisely ordered by Providence, seeing that he was 
a man of sedentary habits, and very averse to the idle habit of walking^ 
His legs were very short, but sturdy in proportion to the weight which 
they had to sustain, so that, when erect, he had the appearance of a beer 
barrel on skids. 

REMARKABLE FACIAL EXPRESSION. 

" ' His face — that infallible index of the mind — presented a vast 
expanse, unfurrowed by any of those lines or angles which disfigure the 
human countenance with what is termed expression. Two small, gray 
eyes twinkled feebly in the midst, like two stars of lesser magnitude in a 
hazy firmament, and his full-fed cheeks, which seemed to have taken toll 
of everything which went into his mouth, were curiously mottled, and 
streaked with dusky red, like a Spitzenberg apple. His habits were as 
regular as his person. He daily took his four stated meals appro- 
priating exactly one hour to each, he smoked and doubted eight hours, and 
slept the remaining twelve hours of the four-and-twenty.' " 

" What a man for a governor !" exclaimed Ray. 

"Well, he ruled seven years, and the colony prospered in spite of 
his stupidity. He never would have been governor if his wife had not 
been the niece of one of the leading men. He had no influence, but 
was laughed at and snubbed on every hand. He was succeeded by 
William Kieft, who was a man of great abilities, but very unscrupulous. 
His rule was even worse, for he demanded tribute of the Indians, and 
got the province into trouble with them," said Josie. 



THE INDIAN WAR. 



101 



[1635] " What happened iu 1635 ?" was the next question asked. 

" Twelve families left Boston and founded Concord. They bought 
six miles square of the Indians, and persevered through all misfortunes 
to see their colony successful at last," answered Bennie. 

" It was during the religious dispute of this time that a woman, 
named Anne Hutchinson, was denounced as being ' like Roger Williams 
or worse.' She left Massa- 
chusetts and went to Provi- 
dence, then the family moved 
beyond New Haven. Gov- 
ernor Kieft will have to bear 
the blame through all history 
of sending the Indians who 
attacked her home, when she, 
her daughter, son-in-law, and 
their family, with the ex- 
ception of one child, were 
brutally killed or burned with , 
the dwelling. Her name was 
given to a river near the 
spot," said Katie. 

nno-.-. " What about schools?'' 
[1637] 

asked Mamma Nelson. john winthrop. 

'There had been schools in the colonies since the first, but in 1637 
there was one established in Cambridge which was destined to have a 
long and useful life. The next year, Rev. John Harvard gave the insti- 
tution half of his fortune and his library, and the name of Harvard 
College was given to it," replied Jake. 

'You are ahead of time, Jake," laughed Bessie. "In 1636, settle- 
ments were made in Connecticut, at Hartford, while some went up the 
river and founded Springfield, and to Wethersfield, where there already 
was a small settlement. And young John Winthrop located a town at 
the mouth of the Connecticut river and named it Saybrooke," 




102 THE INDIAN WAR. 

" But these settlements were in the country owned by the Pequod 
tribe, who were the most powerful and warlike of all the New England 
natives, and had as many as two thousand warriors in the field. But 
strong as they were, they hesitated to begin the war alone, and tried to 
get the Narragansetts to help them," added Marion. 

" And they would have done it if it hadn't been for Roger Williams, 
who was a friend to Miantonomoh, their chief. And what do you think? 
The very men who had exiled him into the wilderness, in a cold New 
England winter, now begged him to use his influence with the Narra- 
gansett chief, so that the tribe would remain neutral if they would not 
help the white men. I call that brass !" cried Charlie indignantly. 

"No slang," smiled Mamma Nelson. 

ROGER WILLIAMS' INDIAN FRIEND. 

"I couldn't think of another word to express it," protested Charlie. 
"Think of it ! If he had failed, if Miantonomoh had not protected him, 
he would have been killed instantly— or rather by tortue— yet he went, 
found the Pequod chiefs already there, and the Narragansetts almost 
ready to give them the aid which they asked." 

"Did Miantonomoh remain friendly?" 

" Well, I guess he did," responded Phinney. " Roger Williams 
stayed and talked to them three days, and when he went away they had 
agreed to help the white men if there was a war, instead of fighting them. 
Kurrah for Roger Williams, if there had been more like him it would 
have been better in many ways." 

" Did the Pequods make war after all ? " 

"Yes ; they thought that they had warriors enough to try it alone, 
and began to kill the settlers of Connecticut. Captain John Mason, with 
eighty men, went to Canonicus and asked his assistance. He hardly 
wanted to give it openly, but more than two hundred braves agreed to go, 
and were joined by seventy Mohegans under Chief Uncas. With this 
force they marched against the principal fort of the Pequods. The bark- 
ing of a dog gave the alarm, but the attack was made at once, and, to 
make it surer, the wigwams were set on fire. The surprised Pequ^s 



THE INDIAN WAR. 103 

tried in vain to put the fire out. The English withdrew to a safer 
place, from which they could see and pick off the Indians as they 
showed themselves. More than six hundred were killed, the most of 
them being burned in their own homes. The battle lasted only an hour, 
and the white men lost but two of their number," said Marcella. 

" But there were other Pequod forts." - 

" Yes, but the tribe were so frightened by this sudden attack it was 
an easy thing to finish them up. The Englishmen went back to protect 
the settlements, but collected more men and attacked them again in a 
few days. The Pequods made but a feeble resistance, as they fled toward 
the west, closely pursued. The English burned their villages, destroyed 
their corn fields, and killed men, women and children without mercy. 
Sassacus, their chief, with a few followers, fled to the Mohawks, where 
he was killed, some say by his own men. There were only about two 
hundred left, when they surrendered," said Charlie. 

"Were they killed, too?" demanded Bennie. 

TORTURED OR SOLD AS SLAVES. 

"No, but they were given a worse fate," exclaimed Nettie. "Some 
of them were given to their enemies, the Narragansetts and Mohegans, 
who probably tortured them, and the rest were sold as slaves in the West 
Indies. It was a war without mercy on either side, and the horror of it 
remained with the Indians of New England for more than forty years." 

" It was bad for the Pequods, but good for the colonies," observed 
Hadley. "It prevented other uprisings, and, the next ten years, settle- 
ments multiplied in Connecticut, and New Haven was founded in 1638." 

"I read that they used to keep slaves in Massachusetts — did they 
ever ?" demanded Josie. 

"Yes," nodded Ruth. "Slavery was begun in that State about 1638, 

and in 1641, it was recognized by the State laws, as it was in Connecticut 

and Rhode Island in 1650, in New York in 1656, in Maryland in 

1663, in New Jersey in 1665, but there never were many slaves 

in Pennsylvania," 



104 THE INDIAN WAR. 

" It was in 1638, that a lot of Swedes and Finns settled near Wil- 
mington in Delaware, and they purchased lands of the natives, and the 
country was called New Sweden, from the ocean to the falls near 
Princeton," said Ray. 

" Why, there is a New Sweden in Maine now, I was there with 
Uncle Ed. The State of Maine gave the first families one hundred acres 
of land, with a house and a cooking stove, and five acres of trees cut 
down, but not cleared for crops. Then the State had a store, and trusted 
them for a year's supply, the pay for which they could work out on 
roads. Since then many more Swedes have come from Sweden, they 
have a nice little village, fine farms, good houses, nice stock, and fine 
horses. At first some of them used to drive oxen, sometimes they had 
one harnessed up like a horse, and some of the men worked their cows 
until they could afford to have horses," said Bennie. 

A STURDY STOCK AND GOOD CITIZENS. 

"Yes," added Katie. "Uncle Ed said 'that they made the best of 
citizens, and the King of Sweden sent them his picture to hang in their 
capitol, July 23, 1900, which was the thirtieth anniversary of their 
coming to America. He sent them a letter to be read at their celebration, 
too." 

"It was about this time that the Jesuits were very active among the 
Indians, although they sometimes seemed more anxious to prepare them 
for the next world than to keep them in this and convert them. These 
priests traveled from tribe to tribe, and some people thought that 
they tried harder to make the savage friends to the French than to con- 
vert them to the Christian religion. They could gain no influence over 
the Iroquois, however, for they were hereditary enemies of the Hurons 
and Algonquins, who were friendly to the French," said Jake, abruptly. 

" By 1673, they had reached Lake Superior, and even descended the 
Mississippi, but Father Marquette decided that the great river ran to 
the Gulf and was afraid of falling into the hands of the Spaniards, so 
he and Joliet returned, entered the Illinois and went by Lake Michigan 



THE INDIAN WAR. L05 

to Detroit. The Indians called the river ' Mich Sepe ' ' Great River' or 
'Father of Waters.' During their travels an Indian chief gave Mar- 
quette a peace pipe, which he hung about his neck, showed to every 
tribe which he visited, and it never failed to win him a welcome," added 

Bessie. 

"What can you say about the first printing press in America? " 
asked Mamma Nelson. 

In 1639, some good people in Holland gave a printing press to the 
Colony of Massachusetts, and it was set up in Cambridge. The printer 
was one Stephen Daye, who printed an almanac calculated for 
[•639] New £ n gi an d in that year, and, in 1640, printed a poetical trans- 
lation of the psalms, by ' Thomas Welde, John Eliot, and Richard 
Mather.' This was the first book, in the English language, printed in 
America, and it was used for a long time in the New England churches," 
replied Marion. 

OWED NOTHING TO THE MOTHER COUNTRY, 

111 1 641, the New Hampshire settlements united with those of 

Massachusetts; when did all the colonies of New England unite?" 

" In 1643. Although they were proud to be Englishmen, and felt a 

deep interest in the mother country, they knew that they owed 

*- J her nothing, that in their deepest distress they had never asked 

aid of her, and it had never been offered to them," answered Phinney. 

" Can you tell me how many inhabitants there were in New England 
in 1640, Marcella?" 

" About 20,000," was the ready reply. "There were between thirty 
and forty churches, about fifty towns, and there was no longer any 
doubt of final success. People began to enjoy the comforts of the old 
homes, and to build larger and better houses." 

" There was another Indian war in 1644. Opechancanough, although 

an old man, resolved to make one more effort to drive the white 

L J man from the land of his fathers. He forgot that the Indians 

had grown weaker in twenty years, while the English had grown 



106 



THE INDIAN WAR. 



stronger, but attacked the frontier settlements and killed more than 
three hundred people. The English rallied and a fierce war was carried 
on until Opecnancanough was captured in October, 1646. He was so 
decrepit that he had to be carried in the arms of his braves yet he was 
feared by his enemies and loved by his people to the last," said Charlie. 

"I have heard 
that Sir William 
Berkeley rudely 
exposed him as a 
show, and the old 
chief said indig- 
nantly: 'If Sir 
William Berkeley 
had become my 
prisoner, I should 
not thus meanly 
have exposed him 
as a show to my 
people, ' " added 
Nettie. 

"And just think 
of it ! In a fewdays 
he was basely as- 
sassinated by one of 
his guards, and he 
JOHN endicott. was ne of the 

greatest Indian chiefs in America," cried Ruth. 

" Nothing important happened for six years, when the first settle- 
riK^ni ment was ma de i n North Carolina. In 1655 there was a religious 
war between the Protestants and Catholics of Maryland, and 
New Sweden was conquered by the Dutch. The next year a law was 
passed by which people could crop the ears, bore the tongue with hot 
irons, or hang a Quaker, and during the term of Governor Endicott, 




THE INDIAN WAR. 107 

they were whipped, hanged, fined and imprisoned," said Mamma 
Nelson. 

" By the very people who had left the old world for ' freedom of con- 
science's sake !" exclaimed Ray. 

" I want to tell you that those cruelties were not upheld by the 
people, and finally the General Court repealed the unjust laws," said 
Bennie. 

" In bright contrast to this are the labors of love which were car- 
ried on among the Indians, by which many embraced the Christian 
faith. John Eliot was one of the foremost missionaries, and bore the 
name of ' the apostle Kliot.' He translated the Bible into their language, 
he taught the women to spin and weave, and the men the art of agri- 
culture," added Katie. 

NEW AMSTERDAM SURRENDERED BY STUYVESANT. 

"In 1664, Stuyvesant surrendered New Amsterdam; Albany was 

named ; Elizabeth, New Jersey, was settled by emigrants from 

L J Long Island, and the whole country was prosperous," said Jake. 

" I have heard a story about that time," laughed Phinney. "When 
the ' Flying Squadron ' was devastating the shores of the Hudson river, 
they landed near Kingston and burned that village. Some Dutchmen 
were working near where they landed, and darted away across a field 
where a forgotten hay rake was lying. As one of the frightened men 
stepped on this, the handle flew up and hit him on the head. He thought 
surely the blow was from a pursuing enemy, and shouted excitedly, 
grasping his head with both hands ; ' Oh, mein Gott ! I gives it up ! 
Hurrah for King Shorge ! ' " 

" It was in 1665 that Connecticut and New Haven were united 
under the name of Connecticut. And it seems to me as if 
America was being settled by all kinds of men," said Marcella 
thoughtfully. 

' Yes, there was a very great difference in the early settlers. And 
some of the first laws were so peculiar that I will tell you about them," 



108 THE INDIAN WAR. 

began Mamma Nelson. "They could not drink to the health of any- 
one ; could have no celebration at Christmas or Easter ; Freemen must 
pay six pence if they failed to vote ; men could not use tobacco until they 
were more than twenty years old, and then but once a day, and ten miles 



PETER STUYVESANT. 

from any house. In Hartford people had to get up in the morning when 
the watchman rang the bell." 

" And were those queer laws obeyed ? " asked Bennie. 

" Of course they were, by all well disposed persons. Other things 
were as queer as their laws. One family of nine children were named 



THE INDIAN WAR. 109 

Experience, Waitstill, Preserved, Hopestill, Wait, Thanks, Desire, Unite 
and Supply," laughed Nettie. 

"In the first log cabins oiled paper was used instead of glass, then 
glass windows with lead frames were sent out from Europe, and candle- 
sticks and snuffers were in every house," added Josie. 

" Cider was made by pounding the apples in mortars, then pressing 
the mashed pulp in baskets. And election day was always observed with 
'Lection cake' and 'Lection beer' " concluded Charlie. 

STORY OF CAPTAIN JOHN HULL. 

" I have a good story about the early colonial days," cried Bennie 
eagerly. " I hunted the longest while to find it ; Mamma said that it 
was in an old book in the attic, and I didn't play ball last night, but I 
found it. Captain John Hull was mint master of Massachusetts, and 
coined all the money. If a man wanted a coat before that, he gave a 
bearskin, and musket balls were used as farthings, while Indian money 
was wampum of clam shells. The colonists brought Hull all of their 
battered silverware and broken spoons, which he melted over and made 
into money, taking one shilling from every twenty for his pay. He grew 
rich, and, when his daughter Betsey was married to Samuel Sewell, he 
wore a plum colored coat, with buttons of Pine Tree shillings ; the but- 
tons of his waistcoast were sixpences ; and the knees of his short pants 
were fastened with silver three-pences. 

" When the ceremony was over he told the servants to bring him a 
pair of scales and a large chest. He told his daughter to step into one 
side of the scales, and opening the chest which was filled with silver 
coin, he heaped the other side of the scales with silver until Miss Betsey, 
plump as she was, was lifted from the floor. Then he laughed, and told 
his son-in-law that he was lucky, not every wife was worth her weight 
in sterling silver. 

"I guess you will all be glad that you were not children then, when 
I tell you how they used to ' harden' them, said Charlie. "They had to 
go without hats and nightcaps as soon as they had any hair ; they wet 



110 THE INDIAN WAR. 

their feet in cold water ; they had thin shoes, so that water could freely 
enter ; they never had cold drinks, even their beer being heated ; it was 
thought best to feed them on niilk, pottage, flummery, bread and cheese, 
and never let them drink beer until they had first eaten a piece of brown 
bread. They were sent to school early, the boys to study books, the 
girls to learn to sew, spin, knit and cook. 

" I found about a queer law in one Massachusetts town. It was 
that every unmarried man in the township should kill six blackbirds 
or three crows, each year until he was married, and he could not be mar- 
ried until his fines were paid," laughed Nettie. 

"The more I study 'ye olden times' the more satisfied I am with 
our own," observed Josie. 

"King Philip's war next," said Hadley. 

" I think we will ride to Medfield and see if the trees, under which 
the pow-wow was held when Medfield was burned, are still standing," said 
Mamma Nelson. 

" Another surprise ! How do you like to study history — with Mamma 
as teacher ? " questioned Charlie. 




CHAPTER VII. 

FOUND something which should come before 
King Philip's war," said Charlie, when 
the} 7 were about to begin their lesson. 
"In 1675 the people of Maryland were 
having a war witb the Indians, which 
extended to Virginia, and Colonel 
John Washington was sent against 
them. It was a fierce war on both sides. At last six 
chiefs came to his camp to sue for peace, but were 
treacherously murdered. Governor Berkeley con- 
demned the act, and the Indians avenged it, until they had killed ten 
for every one killed by the white men, which was required by their 
customs before the spirits of the dead braves could rest in peace." 

" The war went on and Governor Berkely did not try to stop it, some 
accounts say that he was having too good a fur trade with the Indians 
to anger them against himself. At last a resolute man, named Nathan 
Bacon, took the lead and put a stop to it. But the trouble led to open 
rebellion against Berkeley's oppressions, with Bacon at the head, and 
before they had hardly begun, they burned their own town, and the first 
capital of Virginia was a heap of smoldering ruius." 

" But Bacon died before the trouble was settled, and Berkeley tri- 
umphed. Then he took a brutal revenge, and nearly twenty of the best 
men in the colony were put to death, their property confiscated and their 
families turned out of doors. When Berkeley was recalled to England 
his departure was celebrated with bonfires, the ringing of bells, and the 
firing of guns," added Nettie. 

" Was anything unusual noticed before King Philip's war began?" ' 

ill 



112 



KING PHILIP'S WAR. 



<k Some superstitious people declared they saw the picture of an 
Indian scalp over the moon ; others that they saw an Indian bow in the 
shy, arrow drawn ready for use; while to others the howling of the wolves 
foretold disaster, and many found their fears realized," said Hadley. 
"What led to this war?" 

" The sachem Massasoit kept his treaty with the white men, 

although he could foresee that his 
native land was to become the home 
of the powerful newcomers — that 
the Indian would be driveu back with 
diminishing numbers, perhaps ex- 
terminated. He left two sons, Alexan- 
der, whose Indian name was Wam- 
sutta ; and Philip, or Pometacom. 
Alexander, the oldest, became chief 
when Massasoit died, and it was well 
known that he was not friendly to 
the colonists. He was suspected of 
planning a raid, arrested, and taken 
sick with fever while in prison. He 
was allowed to go home, where he 
soon died," answered Josie. 
" And his people thought that he had been poisoned by the white 
men " continued Ray. " I found one account which hinted that Philip 
killed his brother so that he might be chief, but I do not believe it. Philip 
saw that the English were increasing, and he was a patriot and a states- 
man, skilled in the diplomacy of his nation. Secretly he sought the 
union of all the New England tribes, about 2500 warriors." 
" Did they attack Plymouth ? " 

" A friendly Indian warned the town, but the friendly act cost him 
his life. He was condemned as a traitor, and killed in a way intended 
to make it appear that he had committed suicide. Then a war was 
begun without hope and waged without mercy," said Ruth. 




KING PHILIP. 



KING PHILIP'S WAR. 113 

" What two female sachems fought with him ? " 

" Auashonks, who pretended to be friendly to the whites, and 
promised to place herself under English protection, and allow her braves 
to fight with them, but sided with Philip after all. And the other was 
Wetauoo, the widow of Alexander, who believed that he had been treach- 
erously poisoned and was very active for revenge. When all hope was gone 
she sprang into the stream to escape capture. One account says that 
she intended to swim to the other side to join some of her people, others 
say that she committed suicide. Her body was washed ashore, her head 
cut off and set on a pole at Tauuton, where her people saw and recog- 
nized it," replied Bennie. 

NOBLE CHARACTER OF KING PHILIP. 

"I always thought that King Philip was a 'noble red man,' mused 
Marcella. 

" So he was," asserted Katie. " He saw that the newcomers would 
sweep his race aside, just as they have, and he thought that a war of 
extermination was necessary. There is no evidence that he ever ordered 
a prisoner to be tortured, but there were cases when he prevented such a 
thing. On the other hand it is admitted that the English did give up 
Indian deserters to the torture." 

" From all accounts I think that Philip began the war against his 
own judgment, and at the demands of his warriors. He was a true hero 
when he resolved to do his best and share the fate of his people. He 
seems to have had no hope of success but he fought desperately for 
revenge. A reward was offered, — forty coats to the one who would bring 
Philip in alive, or twenty for his head. Two coats were offered for every 
Indian prisoner," added Jake. 

" The attack on the churchgoers at Swanzey was the first move, 
and eight or nine were killed, but the Indians were repulsed. The war 
then spread rapidly over the New England States, but the number of 
fighting braves steadily diminished until there were only a hundred bow- 
men left," said Mamma Nelson. " Did the Nipmucks join him ? " 



114 KING PHILIP'S WAR. 

"Yes, and no one knows how many other tribes were secretly con- 
cerned in it. People declared that the colonists were to be severely 
punished for their sins, among which were mentioned the wearing of gay 
clothes by the women, and long hair by the men ; the licensing of ale 
houses ; and swearing. Some even declared that it was a judgment for 
not exterminating the Quakers ! " replied Bessie. 

" Where was the next attack ? " 

THE BURNING OF BROOKFIELD. 

" On Brookfield, after ambushing the men sent to aid the settlement. 
The settlers stood a two days' siege in the strongest house, and the 
Indians burned all the others, and fired blazing arrows at that. Twice 
the men dashed out to scatter a heap of combustibles which the savages 
had piled against the corner of the house, and the last time one of the 
men escaped to the woods without being seen, and went for help. 
Another day and night passed, and help did not come. Finally the 
Indians took a wagon, piled it high with flax, hemp, hay and dry wood, 
set it on fire, and pushed it against the house. But, just as the house 
caught, a violent shower came and not only put the fire out, but made it 
impossible to kindle another. At sunset help came and the Indians 
fled," was the answer from Marion. 

" All of the Indians were not without mercy and gratitude," declared 
Phinney. " A man, who was a prisoner awaiting torture the next morn- 
ing, was told by an Indian in the night to get up and follow him. The 
man did not know but what he was going to kill him, but he did as 
he was told, when the Indian led the way through the woods, almost to 
his ruined home, then left him, saying : — ' Many years ago you gave 
tired Indian supper and bed, he promise to pay you, he pay you now. 
Go and be happy.' " 

"Another is the brass kettle story, I found it in an old, old book 
about Indian wars," added Marcella. " There used to be a brick house in 
Dorchester called the ' Fort House,' and I think that it was the home of a 
Mr, Miner at the time. All were at church one Sunday morning, except a 



KING PHILIPS WAR. 115 

servant girl and two small children, when the girl saw an Indian coming. 
She barred the door, pnt the children under two brass kettles, told them 
to be very quiet, and took down her master's gun. The Indian fired 
through the window, one bullet striking one of the kettles, but doing no 
harm to the child under it. Then he tried to crawl in ; the brave girl 
fired but missed him, and then she did all she could see to do, — she took 
a shovel of red hot coals from the stove, and threw them over him. They 
lodged in his clothes, and he was found dead in the woods not far away." 

INDIAN SCARED BY JACK-O-LANTERN. 

"A funnier stor}^ is about two children who were playing with a 
hideous jack-o-lantern, their father and mother being away, when the 
home was visited by Indians on the war-path. At the first shot the 
children stuck their 'Jackie' up where it could be seen, and the Indians 
ran away with a yell of surprise and fear. They would never come near 
that house again, because of the awful 'fire-spirit' which they saw," 
laughed Charlie. 

" What place was attacked next ? " 

" Deerfield, and it was burned. Hadley was attacked when the 
people were at church, and they were hard pressed by the Indians when 
a tall, old man, sword in hand, rallied and led them to victory. It was 
Goffe, the regicide, who had risked liberty and life to help them," said 
Nettie. 

"How was that?" 

" Why — you know. When King Charles I. was executed he was 
sentenced by a committee, and when the government was again in the 
hands of a king, the men who signed his death warrant were not safe in 
England. Some of them were taken and some of them fled before they 
could be seized. Edward Whalley and William Goffe came to this 
country, and sometimes they lived in one place, sometimes in another. 
They were joined shortly after they came by John Dixwell, another of 
the judges. Goffe is supposed to have been the strange old man who saved 
the day at Hadley, giving the quick, sharp orders which turned the 



116 KING PHILIP'S WAR. 

battle, and the Indians regarded him with superstitious awe," saidHadley. 

" Well, what more about Philip ? " 

"He took refuge with the Narragansetts, who would not give him 
up, so war was made against them. They had a village where South 
Kingston is, which was attacked, the houses set on fire, all the winter 
supplies burned, and the old men, women and children burned with the 
village. Another large body of natives were surprised just above 
Turner Falls," answered Josie. 

" In the fight at Kingston, the white men lost two hundred and fifty 
men killed and wounded, including six captains. But as many as a thou- 
sand Indians were slain, and a large number taken prisoners. Their winter 
supplies were all destroyed, and their defeat was complete. Canonchet, 
the chief, was among the prisoners. He was offered his life, if he would 
get his tribe to make peace, but he refused, and when sentenced to .death 
he said scornfully : ' I like it well. I shall die before I say anything 
unworthy of me,' " said Ruth. 

THE FURIOUS ATTACK ON MEDFIELD. 

" When Medfield was attacked there were about one hundred and 
sixty soldiers there besides the inhabitants. Dr. Saunders, in a histori- 
cal sermon, said : ' Burning the bridge in order to cut off pursuit, they 
retired to a savage feast on the top of the nearest hill in view of the ruin 
which they had occasioned.' It was there that they roasted an ox taken 
from one of the settlers. Some say that Philip was seen, riding upon a 
powerful black horse, leaping fences and exulting in the havoc which he 
was causing, but others deny this, and assert that he was miles away at 
the time," added Ray. 

"Then Philip was followed from one place to another until 1676, 
when his wife and son were taken, and the proud chieftain's heart was 
broken, but even then he would not surrender. At last, crushed by 
despair, with nothing to live for, he was treacherously shot b} T one of his 
own race. The little son was sold as a slave in Bermuda, and King 
Philip's war was over," said Bennie. 




WILLIAM PENN, FOUNDER OF PENNSYLVANIA 



KING PHILIP'S WAR. H 7 

" Can you tell anything about the Judas who shot him, Katie ? " 
"His English name was Alderman, and he was one of the tribe 
under the female sachem Weetamore. After Philip's head was shown in 
Plymouth for a time, it was given to him, and he carried it around as a 
show," answered Katie. 

" I can tell you one more story of King Philip's war," asserted Jake. 
" Anuawon was one of his most famous braves, he fought as lon<>- as he 
saw any possible chance, and then he was taken prisoner by Captain 
Church. He handed Philip's beautifully wrought belt to the captaiu, 
saying : ' Great Captain, you have killed Philip, and conquered his 
country, for I believe, that I and my company are the last who war 
against you. The war is ended and these things belong to you.' With 
that he handed him belts, powder horns, blankets, and other things. 
Annawon was beheaded at Plymouth, although Captain Church did all 
that he could to save him." 

OVERTHROW OF THE INDIAN POWER. 

"By this war the power of the Indians was broken, and of the 
mighty Narragansetts hardly a hundred men were living, while the other 
tribes had lost heavily. But the mourning was not all on one side, for 
over six hundred, mostly young men, had been lost by the colonists," 
added Bessie. 

"In 16S0 people thought that the world was coming to an end, 
prayers were offered, even in the grandest European churches, 
L J and fast clays were appointed. And all because of a great comet, 
which lasted more than five weeks," laughed Marion. 

" Settlements had been slowly made in North Carolina since 1663, 
and in 1680 Charleston was founded, and the settlements in the Caro- 
linas were prosperous. The States were divided in 1729," said Phinnev. 

" I think that William Penn comes next," said Marcella. "One ot 

the greatest naval commanders of England was his father, who 

*■ -" was very indignant when he became a Quaker, and turned him out 

of his home without a penny, but his mother gave him money. Every 



118 



KING PHILIP'S WAR. 



effort was made to get him to renounce his faith — a high office, the favor 
of the king, and other inducements were held out to him, but refused." 

"Did his father ever repent and recall him ? " 

" I suppose so, for when he was dying he said to him : ' Son William, 




WILLIAM PENN. 

if you and your friends keep to your plain way of living and preaching 
you will make an end of the priests.' When his father died he inherited 
considerable property. He married a beautiful English woman of noble 
character, who was much help to him. The Quakers were persecuted in 
England, as everywhere else, and to secure a peaceful home for them, 



KING PHILIPS WAR. 



119 



William Penn decided to buy and colonize a tract of land in America. 
His father had a claim against the English Government for about 
$80,000, which Charles II. was ready to accept for a ' parcel of land,' a 
territory very nearly like the present State of Pennsylvania," replied 
Charlie. 

"Did he name the State ?" 

"No, the king named it, and the name meant * Penn's woods,' or 








\1i&S-krt>FieT ^fas/tor 







AUTOGRAPHS TO PENNSYLVANIA CHARTER, 1683. 

'the forests of Penn.' The next year he got a quit claim deed of Dela- 
ware from the Duke of York, and invited all people to help him settle 
his lands, sending out a colony," said Nettie. 
[1682] "Why did he not go there himself?" 

"He did in 1682, and made a treaty of peace with the Indians all 
around there. They called him ' Father Penn' and always brought him 
presents. They agreed, for a certain sum, to give him as much land as 
a young man could walk around in a day, but the man walked so fast 
and so far that they were astonished, and not a little displeased, then 



120 



KING PHILIP'S WAR. 



Penn gave them more presents until they were satisfied. He was so just 
with them they said : — ' We will live in love with William Penn and his 
children as long as the sun and the moon shall endure.' And it is a 
historical fact that, all through the reign of terror of the Indian wars, 
not one drop of Quaker blood was knowingly shed by the Indians. At 
one time a Quaker family was saved by a white feather, which an Indian 
stuck over their door," answered Hadley. 

" It was in 16S2 that La Salle descended the Mississippi river to its 
mouth, and named the whole valley Louisiana," said Ray. 

"It was in 1684 that the charter of Massachusetts was decided 'null 
and void' by the English court, but the colony resisted, resolved to 





THE GREAT SEAL OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
OBVERSE AND REVERSE. 



[1684] 



' adhere to their former bills.' It was of no use, however; in those 



days the moneyed powers of England ruled New England. Sir 
Edmund Andros was appointed governor of New England and arrived 
in America in 1686. In a smart red uniform, trimmed with lace, he 
demanded the charters of the colonies, and got all but that of Connecticut. 
" He dissolved the government of Rhode Island, then went on to 
Hartford, with armed men, to compel the General Assembly to give him 
the charter, and entered the room where they were expetcing him. Sud- 
denly the lights all went out, one Captain Wadsworth seized the box 
containing the document, the crowd opened to let him pass through, and 
closed behind him — it was quickly done ! When the lights were restored 



KING PHILIP'S WAR. 



121 



Andros found all the members in order, but he did not find the charter," 
said Mamma Nelson. 

"What had been done with it?" asked Ruth. 

" It was securely hidden where the haughty English lord would 
never think of looking for it. It was placed in the hollow of an old oak 
tree, just outside of the village, where it remained for nearly two years. 
The story goes that the real charter was hidden before Andros came, and 
that it was only a copy which was carried out by Captain Wadsworth, 
and this may be true, for the one who 
told me said that it was so recorded in 
the records of Connecticut." 

"Andros was told by the king not 
to allow any printing presses to be 
used, and no one could leave the 
colony without a permit from him. 
Personal liberty was ignored, and it is 
written of that time ' that the wicked 
walked on every hand and the vilest 
men were exalted.' Schools and religious institutions were almost 
neglected, and this was more than the New Hnglanders would submit to 
very long. There was a revolution, the colonies demanding to live by 
their charter rights, and Andros was displaced," added Katie. 

" King William's war was begun in 16S9," Charlie began. " The 
Indians of the Five Nations were friendly to the English but 
hostile to the French, and their territory was between the French 
and English colonies. The two nations were very jealous of each other in 
the matter of colonization, and the French did not use the Mohawks 
very well, so the war began August 25, 1689, by a band of Indians 
capturing Montreal, where two hundred of the inhabitants were put to 
death with needless cruelty, and as many more made prisoners." 

"The French retaliated with an attack on Dover, N. H., a place 
commanded by Major Richard Waldron," continued Nettie. " It was the 
man who seized the Indians who came to him during King Philip's war 




THE CHARTER OAK. 



[1689] 



122 KING PHILIP'S WAR. 

to treat for peace. He sent them to Boston, where some of them were 
hanged and the rest sold as slaves. Two squaws came and asked for a 
night's lodging, and Waldron took them into his own house. In the 
night they opened the door for the braves who were waiting, and the rest 
need not be told. The leader of the Indians was named Hankamagus, 
and Waldron didn't use them quite right in trading, as well as other 
things." 

"That is no reason why they should torture him so cruelly," 
exclaimed Hadley. "And nearly half of the inhabitants were killed while 
the rest were taken away in captivity." 

" The frontier towns from Maine to New York suffered severely, 

and, in February, 1690, the French and Indians surprised and 

burned Schenectady, killed the most of the inhabitants, and carried 

many women and children into captivity. The French were as fierce in 

waging a war of extermination as the Indians were, and did some of the 

things which were laid to their savage allies," said Josie. 

HORRIBLE MASSACRES BY THE SAVAGES. 

" I have read that the savages were incited to some of the terrible 
murders by the Jesuits, and after peace was declared two of these priests 
openly acknowledged that they led them on," added Bennie. 

" Casco in Maine, Salmon Falls in New Hampshire, and Deerfield 
and Haverhill in Massachusetts, soon shared the fate of Schenectady. 
Assacambuilt was the Indian leader at Haverhill, and his ' war-club ' 
had ninety-eight notches on it at the time — the number of English that 
he had killed ! In 1706, when on a visit to France, he was knighted by 
Louis XIV., and always wore his ' badge of honor ' telling his rank," 
said Katie. 

" When the treaty of peace was concluded between the whites, the 
Indian warfare continued. So civilization progressed amid the horrors 
of both white and red wars until the Revolution," Jake concluded. 

"But nearly every settlement in Maine was deserted or destroyed, 
great numbers of women and children had been taken to Canada and 



KING PHILIP'S WAR. 123 

sold to the French as slaves. And after all, peace was declared in 1697, 
only to be broken again in 1702, when Queen Anne's war began," 
said Bessie. 

" The year 1692 was a blot upon the fair record of the New England 
colonies, especially those of Massachusetts. Can you tell me 
why ? " asked Mamma Nelson. 

" Because it was when the Salem witchcraft craze began," replied 
Marion. " I suppose it has occupied such a place in history that we can 
not pass it entirely by, but we need not give it much time, need we, 
Mamma Nelson ?" asked Marion. 

STRANGE STORIES CF WITCHES. 

"I think not," was the smiling answer. "I am quite sure that much 
of it might now be explained as ventriloquism, and more by personal 
spite and good acting. The very ones who pretended to be deaf, dumb and 
blind ; who would purr like cats and bark like dogs ; one and all of them 
were able to eat and sleep well ! An Irish woman was convicted and 
hanged because she could repeat the Lord's prayer in Latin but not in 
English. Cotton Mather called witchcraft ' high treason against His 
Majesty on high ' and did all in his power to bring witches to trial. The 
craze lasted nearly a year, and even those high in authority were charged 
with it." 

"Yes, and I noticed, in reading of it, that it stopped pretty soon after 
it'began to take the ' upper crust,' " nodded Phinuey. 

''People were tortured uutil they confessed falsely that they were 
witches, for such a confession was pretty sure to save their lives. Some 
testified against their own folks, and one man was executed on the testi- 
mony of his wife and child. Reverend Mr. Borroughs, a very worthy 
clergyman, was hanged. During the time nineteen were hanged ; one 
pressed to death ; fifty-five tortured until they 'confessed ;' one hundred 
and fifty put in prison ; and more than two hundred were under suspicion, 
when it was thought time to put a stop to it," added Marcella. 

" I knew it would come in our lesson to-night, and I cut this item 



124 



KING PHILIP'S WAR. 



from one of our largest papers to read to you. It is dated Indianapolis, 
June 14, 1901, and it says : — 'the wife of a German farmer, of Dubois 
county, lias been driven away from her home by the threats of her neigh- 




THE REV. COTTON MATHER. 

bors, who charge her with being a witch, and say that she has worked her 
evil charms to their injury, by causing the death of their horses, cattle 
and other live stock. * * * It is charged that she has the power of 
evoking the evil spirit in man or beast, and that she has caused the 
death of several persons. She is sixty years old.' What do you think 



KING PHILIP'S WAR. 125 

of that, iii} r friends ? Are we living in the enlightened twentieth century, 
or are these the Salem witchcraft days ? " asked Charlie earnestly. 

" We do not know what kind of a community the woman lived in, 
if the story is true, and it may be about 1692 in knowledge in that part 
of the country," laughed Nettie. 

TlfiQQl " 'Oh,ni} T name was Captain Kidd, as I sailed, as I sailed !'" 

sang Bennie. 

"Tell us about him, " said Mamma Nelson. 

CAPTAIN KIDD, THE FAMOUS PIRATE. 

" Governor Bellamont was one of a company that fitted out the 
Adventurer, as a privateer, and put Captain Kidd in command of her, to 
fight the pirates. After protecting American commerce awhile he fought 
the pirates in the Indian Ocean, then disobeyed orders, and sailed for 
Madagascar and became a pirate himself, with all his crew. The com- 
pany shared in the charge of piracy, aud were anxious to bring him to 
justice. At last he was arrested in Boston, where he went boldly, relying 
on his commission from the king to save him. He told Bellamont where 
the stolen treasure was hidden, and, it is said, that the governor recovered 
much of it, while Captain Kidd was sent to England and hanged in 
chains." 

" Investigation proved that charge to be false. Governor Bellamont 
did not get the treasure, but was wrongly accused," said Mamma Nelson. 
" Can you tell me about the pirates who lived in the West Indies at one 
time?" 

"As early as 16S0 buccaneers appeared at Charleston- They made 
their headquarters uponTortuga Island, and were both French and Eng- 
lish men, who had driven the Spaniards from the place and taken it for 
themselves. They worked in bauds of from fifty to one hundred each, 
plundering and murdering. They called themselves ' Brethren of the 
Coast,' but they were soon known to the world, especially to defenceless 
ships, as the terrible buccaneers or pirates," replied Katie. 

"Tell us how they dressed !" cried Phinney. 



126 KING PHILIP'S WAR. 

" Tlie man who became one of the 'Brethren' wore a shirt dipped in 
the blood of some animal which he had killed,'' began Charlie; "he wore 
a pair of loose trousers ; a leather girdle or belt, from which hung a keen 
sabre and several ugly looking knives ; a hat without a brim ; rawhide 
shoes, and no stockings." 

" How did they live ?" demanded Phinney. 

" They hunted cattle upon St. Domingo, living upon the flesh and 
selling the hides to the vessels that touched at the coast. As they grew 
stronger they attacked Spanish settlements. To starve them out the 
Spaniards killed all of the cattle on the island, but this made matters 
worse instead of better for them, for the thievish buccaneers became fierce 
pirates. Small boats were all that they had until they could capture 
vessels," added Nettie. 

" Did they make war upon any peoples, or only upon the Spanish ? " 

SPECIAL HATRED OF THE SPANIARDS. 

"Although they seemed to have a special hatred of Spaniards, 
they attacked any nation's people," replied Hadley. " They always 
prayed when starting out on a murdering expedition, and always thanked 
God for victory when it came. They liked best the ships from Peru, 
laden with gold and silver, and their only safety was in numbers, several 
of them sailing together." 

" I suppose it was sure death to be captured by them," mused Jake, 
with a shudder. 

"They spared the lives of a crew if the prize was a rich one, but 
if they did not get anything to pay them for their trouble their captives 
were thrown overboard without mercy. The story is told that fifty-five 
of them went into the Pacific, as far as California, and they seized a ship 
in Yauca harbor which had a rich cargo, and that carried several millions 
of dollars," Ray answered. 

" Did they divide it equally ? " asked Ruth. 

" In dividing their booty the first choice of all was given to the 
wounded. A hand, arm, or leg lost was worth two hundred crowns ; an 



KING PHILIP'S WAR. 127 

eye, or a finger, was worth a hundred ; and the wounded were allowed 
fifty cents a day for sixty days. After these were provided for the 
remainder was equally divided, the heirs of those killed receiving their 
shares. If there were no heirs it was given to the church, to pay for 
saying mass for the dead," said Jake. 

" They plundered Spanish settlements, and so the plunder which 
the Spanish got in the new world was taken from them. They finally 
disbanded, and settled in different parts of the West Indies. Some of 
the noted ones were Montbar, Lalonois, Michael de Basco, Henry Morgan, 
Van Horn, Grammont, Jonque, and Lawrence de Graff," added Ray. 

" But one of their leaders was knighted by Charles II," asserted 
Bessie. 

"And another was made governor of Jamaica," added Marion. 

"That was nothing for one of those old kings to do !" ejaculated 
Phinney. " Probably somebody showed him a dollar or two, and he was 
blind to the crimes of the pirates." 

"And you must remember that those were different days from the 
ones in which we live," smiled Mamma Nelson. 




FOUND a story about King William's war which 
none of us saw, or at least we did not think to 
tell it. A man named Dustin lived near Haver- 
hill, and was at work in the field when the 
Indians attacked his house. He sprang upon 
his horse and started to the rescue, but met the 
most of his children, whom he saved, but his 
wife, her nurse, and a little baby were taken 
prisoners, with a boy from Worcester. The baby 
was soon killed, and the others taken to the 
Indian village near Concord. Hannah Dustin 
did not intend to remain a prisoner if she could escape and planned with 
her fellow captives to make the attempt. 

"iThere were ten Indians, a squaw, and a child in the party on the 
night when they made their strike for freedom. They managed to get 
tomahawks, and killed all the men, wounded the squaw, — because they 
had to,— and spared the child. Mrs. Dustin took the gun and tomahawk 
belonging to the murderer of her child, and a bag of scalps, then, in one 
of the canoes, they floated down the river until they reached Haverhill, 
where they were welcomed as persons arising from the dead," said 
Charlie. 

" That was such an old story I did not think it was worth while to 
tell it ! " exclaimed Bennie, with a shrug. 

"But it shows that the women in those times were as brave as the 
men, and it teaches us that we owe all that we have in this broad land of 
America to just such men and women," said Mamma Nelson. "What 
can you tell me about Queen Anne's war? " 

128 



FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 



129 



[1702] 



"It was begun in Europe, but soon extended to the colonies of each. 

nation. England was against France and Spain, and the war lasted 

eleven years. The English settlements on the frontier of New 

England were almost entirely destroyed," answered Nettie. 

"A school was opened in Saybrook in 1702, which was moved to 

New Haven in fifteen years, named for Elihu Yale, one of its largest 

patrons, and thus Yale College was founded," asserted Josie. 

"In 1703 the town of Deerheld was again attacked and burned 




[1703] 



INDTAN LIFE IN THEIR NATIVE FORESTS. 

although warned by a friendly Mohawk. The inhabitants kept close 
watch all through the winter, but March 1st, when the snow 
was very deep, and covered with a crust as thick and hard as ice. 
about two hundred French, with one hundred and forty-two Indians, all 
under command of Hertel de Rouville, reached and attacked the place 
about daybreak. The sentinels, thinking that all were safe, had left 
their posts, and the enemy had a good chance to creep up the snow 
drifts to the top of the palisades, and leap into the enclosure of the fort 



130 FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

Forty people were killed, and one hundred and twelve made captives," 
said Hadley. 

"I will be ahead with the story of this time," cried Ruth eagerly. 
"A minister by the name of Williams, his wife Eunice, and five children 
were among the prisoners. The baby was thrown out on the snow to 
die because it cried with the cold ; the mother went on as far as she could 
then she was killed with a tomahawk ; the others, with the father, were 
taken to Canada, aud were afterwards ransomed, with the exception of 
the youngest girl, who was adopted by some converted Indians, near 
Montreal, and later married a Mohawk chief. Once she came to Deer- 
field, wearing her Indian dress, to see her relatives, but she would not 
stay with them, and went back to her children and her adopted people. 
Her descendants still live in Canada. 

MORE SAVAGE THAN THE INDIANS. 

"The French were even worse than the Indians, so much so that 
the savages themselves got disgusted with their more savage white 
leaders and refused to murder any more English, but with bribes many 
of them were induced to go on with the terrible work," added Ray. 

"In 1708 Haverhill was surprised by Rouville's forces, and 
none of the inhabitants escaped captivity or death in its most 
fiendish cruelty," said Ruth. 

"The French not only wanted to exterminate the English, but 
they were quite willing that the Indian should follow them into the 
history of the past — when he had ceased to be useful to them. They 
offered a bounty for Indian scalps, giving as high as fifty pounds for a 
single one," continued Bennie. 

"In 1707 the colonies of Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Mas- 
sachusetts combined and tried to conquer Acadia, but were not sue- 
cessful, and they made the attempt again in 17 10, aided by the 
English fleet, and drove the French, annnexing the province 
under the name of Nova Scotia. They also changed the name of Port 
Royal to that of Annapolis," said Katie. 



FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 131 

"The next year the English tried to conquer Canada, but failed, 

and the war ended in 17 13, when Acadia was ceded to the Knglish," 

added Jake. 

■-.-.«,-, "You forgot about the first newspaper in the United States, 

[1704] 

which was the ' News Letter,' published in Boston, in 1704," 

cried Bessie. 

"Oh, there was one before that ; it was published in 1690, and con- 
sisted of three pages, 7x11 inches, but only one number was ever issued," 
interrupted Marion. 

'Then it was not worth mentioning. The 'American' was the 
first paper printed in Pennsylvania, and was published at Philadelphia 
in 1719 ; other papers were the 'New York Gazette.' published in 1725 ; 
'Maryland Gazette,' in 1728 ; 'South Carolina Gazette,'in 1732 ; 'Rhode 
Island Gazette,' in 1732 ; 'Virginia Gazette,' in 1736 ; ' Connecticut 
Gazette,' in 1755 ; ' North Carolina Gazette,' in 1755, and ' New Hamp- 
shire Gazette,' in 1756," returned Jake. 

WAR OVER LAND SEIZURES. 

"In 171 1 there was a small war with the Corees of North Carolina, 

r-.-...-, and a great many innocent ones were killed and their homes 
[1711] 

destroyed. It was all about taking lands without permission," 

said Phinney. 

" But it led to the war with the Yammassees in 17 15, when the 
Indians, without any warning and by cunning planning, attacked 
the frontier settlements. It was a long and desperate struggle, 
but the Indians -were driven as usual," added Marcella. 

"In 1718 Bienville selected the site of New Orleans, cleared the 
land with convict labor, put up a few huts, and gave the place the name 
ri7iQi °^ ^ e P resent large city. It grew faster than any of the other 
settlements in Louisiana, and became the seat of government. 
In 1727 the levee was begun along the river, to keep back the water," 
said Charlie. 

" It was Bienville who destroyed the Natchez tribe of Indians in 



132 



FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 



1729. This tribe was not only very numerous, but were more intelli- 
gent and civilized than other tribes. They worshipped the Sun, and 
their head chief claimed to be a descendant from that fiery sphere. 
When the remnant of the tribe was forced to surrender they were sold 
as slaves, the great Sun being among them," added Nettie. 
[1719] " What unjust thing happened in 1719 ? " 

"The House of Commons 
declared that it would make 
the colonies more indepen- 
dent of the mother country if 
they were allowed to do man- 
ufacturing, and it was forbid- 
den. A British author wrote 
of America at that time : 
' There be fine iron works 
which cast no guns ; and no 
III house in all New England 
has more than twenty rooms. 
Not twenty houses in Boston 
have ten rooms each ; a danc- 
ing school was set up here, but 
put down ; a fencing school 
is allowed ; there be no musi- 



GENERAL O -.LETHORIV.. 

cians by trade ; and all things 1 come from Europe.' But after that 
paper, hemp, and woolen goods were made in New England, and fami- 
lies made their own cloth," answered Hadley. 

" General James Edward Oglethorpe was a generous man of fortune, 
who was first known from his efforts to better the condition of 
imprisoned debtors. He failed to help them in England and 
thought to make a home for the poor and unfortunate in America, 
and what did he do ? " asked Mamma Nelson. 

" He interested others in his scheme, and succeeded in getting 
George II. to grant them a region between the Savannah and Altamaha 




[1732] 



FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 133 

rivers, to be ' held in trust for the poor for a period of twenty-one years, 
and to be a home for those who sought to escape persecution.' It was 
named Georgia, in honor of the king, and Oglethorpe went there as 
governor," replied Josie. 

" And it was said that he had the best governed colony in the whole 
world," continued Ray. " When the scheme became known liberal 
donations were given, and Oglethorpe was enabled to found a state 
instead of a settlement. Only the poorest and most helpless people 
were taken out as colonists, and grape raising and silkworm industry 
were begun. Oglethorpe selected the site of Savannah, and purchased 
the land of the Yamacraw Indians. For nearly a year, while the houses 
were being built, he lived in a tent, which was erected under four large 
pine trees." 

" Did the Indians trouble them ? " 

" No, for the good Oglethorpe took particular pains to gain their 
friendship. Tomochichi, a Yamacraw chief, once brought him a very 
fine buffalo robe, with the head and feathers of an eagle painted on the 
inside of it, saying : ' The feathers are soft and signify love ; the buffalo 
skin is warm, and is an emblem of protection ; therefore, love and protect 
our little families,' " answered Ruth. 

OGLETHORPE GAINS FRIENDSHIP OF INDIANS. 

" I read that the Indians trusted him fully, and even went to him to 
settle disputes among themselves," added Bennie. 

" Which shows what kindness could do. The chief who gave him 
the robe once went to England with him, to see King George," nodded 
Katie. 

"Oglethorpe was justly proud of his success. In 1734, when he 
went to England to see about the affairs of the state, he took raw silk 
enough to make the queen a dress. A part of his business was to get 
troops to protect his settlements from the Spanish, who had ordered them 
to leave Georgia," said Jake. 

"War was declared between England and Spain in 1739, it merged 



134 FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

into King George's war in 1744, and together they lasted nine 
^ years. At its close the nations were no better off, for each one 

retained the territory which it held when the war began. Did it affect 
Oglethorpe ? " 

" He was ordered to invade Florida, which move ended in misfortune, 
for the Spaniards immediately invaded Georgia. Oglethorpe was going 
to make a night attack upon them, but one of bis men deserted and 
warned them. Then he sent a letter by a Spanish prisoner which made 
the Spanish commander think that the deserter was a spy, and that a 
fleet of English ships were on their way to destroy St. Augustine. So 
he hastened to go and defend that city, only stopping long enough to get 
beaten in one battle. After he felt sure that he was no longer needed 
in Georgia, Oglethorpe went back to England, where he died at the 
age of ninety years," replied Bessie. 

DESTRUCTIVE FIRES IN NEW YORK. 

"In the winter of 1740 many fires broke out in New York, and 

people thought that they were set, can you tell me if they 

[1740-4!] ., . .,„ 

L were, Marion ? " 

" Probably many of them were, but it was proven that the first, at 
any rate, was accidental. Some folks, who had not enough to do with- 
out causing a panic, said that the negroes were trying to burn the town. 
That was enough to start a worse craze than the Salem witchcraft craze. 
The officers offered freedom, pardon, and a reward to the slaves who 
would detect others, and many swore falsely to get the reward. Finally 
white men were also accused, and the people lost their common sense and 
mercy completely. Before they came to their senses four white people 
were hanged ; eighteen negroes were hanged ; eleven negroes were 
burned ; fifty sent to the West Indies as slaves ; and three negroes, two 
men and a woman, were burned at one time, upon the spot where the 
City Hall now is." 

" Next was the French and Indian war, — the most important of all 
the colonial wars,— which began in 1754, lasted nine years, and gave all 



FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 135 

territory east of the Mississippi to England, with the exception 
of two islands near Newfonndland, and New Orleans, which 
were retained by France," said Phinney. 

" I gness that you are a little ahead of time, for there were other 
things before that, which probably caused it. Louisburg, on Cape Breton 
island, was the strongest fort in America in 1745, and the French were 
continually sending privateers from there against the merchantmen and 
fishermen of New England. The people resolved to put a stop to it by 
taking Louisburg," laughed Charlie. 

" Sir William Pepperel was commander of this expedition, and they 
sailed for Canso in the spring of 1745, being joined by the West 
India squadron, under Admiral Warren. A French frigate, with supplies, 
sailed into the harbor and was captured. A siege of seven weeks was 
begun, and, at the end of that time, the French commander surrendered. 
The colonists themselves were greatly astonished when this stronghold 
fell such an easy prey, but England took all of the credit for the West 
India squadron," added Nettie. 

" 'Where wealth and glory calleth 

Shrewd John finds just the place ; 
It is not so much who started, 
As who shall win the race'," 

Bennie quoted. 

ri75Tl "^ think we can make the acquaintance of George Wash- 

ington now. What did he do in the year 1753 ?" 
" Between the possessions of the French and English lay the Ohio 
valley, and both claimed the fertile region, although it was occupied by 
neither. Christopher Gist was sent to explore it, and reported that it was 
a land of great beauty and health fulness, with forests of valuable trees ; 
fertile soil ; excellent water ; and broad meadows, on which he saw herds 
of buffalo and deer grazing, while wild turkeys and other game were 
plenty. The French saw what was going on and resolved to prevent it, 
for the possession of the Ohio valley was greatly desired by them," said 
Jake. 



136 FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

"Dear me!" cried Katie. "You are too long getting to George 
Washington ; I will tell you what he did. Governor Dinwiddie wanted 
to send a messenger to the French commander at the nearest French 
post, warning them of the consequences if they intruded on the territory 
of the English. George Washington was then in command of one of 
the military districts, and he was selected as a proper person to send. So 
the governor gave him a letter to the French commander, and told him 
to be sure to notice the strength of their forts, find out their designs, 
and everything that he could which might be of service in the war which 
he felt must follow." 

"The governor talked queerly, and he said to Washington : — 'Ye're 
a braw lad, and gin ye play your cards weel, my boy, ye shall hae nae 
cause to rue your bargain.' Go on, Katie," interrupted Ray. 

CONFERENCE WITH THE FAMOUS DELAWARE CHIEF. 

" Washington set out on his errand in November. He took with 
him two interpreters, Christopher Gist as guide, and four others. They 
crossed mountains, traveled through unbroken forests, with no roads 
save Indian paths to follow, crossed ravines, steep hills, and swollen 
streams, to Logtown, where he held a conference with Half King the 
Delaware chief. Half King said that he would furnish him with a guard, 
and, as the French were the first to come, and the Delawares wanted 
neither party to take away their lands, he would help the English 
drive them out ! The officer at the first post would not receive his letter, 
and Washington went on to the next, where he learned all he could con- 
cerning the movements intended by the French while he waited for an 
answer to his letter. Then he set out to return. Their horses, which 
had been left at the first station, were feeble and worn, and they were 
obliged to leave them and travel on foot. The Indians left them and 
Gist and Washington went on. 

" Once an Indian, laying in wait for them, fired at Washington, at 
a distance of only fifteen steps, but missed and wan taken prisoner. 
Gist was for killing him but Washington let him go, then traveled all 



FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 



137 



night to get ahead of the enemies which he expected him to bring ! 
They reached the Alleghany river, and, with the help of one hatchet, 
made a raft with which to cross it. The raft was caught in the floating 
ice, and Washington, thrown into the icy water, was nearly drowned. 
They had to pass the night on 
an island in the middle of the 
river, and Gist had his fingers 
and toes badly frozen. The 
next morning they found that 
the ice would bear their weight. 
They continued their journey 
and January 16th, 1754, Wash- 
ington gave the governor the 
French commander's reply, as 
well as the report of what he 
had seen." 

" Hadle}^ can you tell me 
anything more about Washing 
ton's acts in this war?" 

"He was ordered to the 



west to take charge of the de- 
fences there, but was driven 
away by the French, who fin- 
ished the fort and called it Fort 
Duquesne, and it was situated 
at the point where the Alle- 
ghany and Monongahela rivers 
unite to form the Ohio. This a Delaware Indian. 

was considered the beginning of the great French and Indian war. 
Troops were raised as speedily as possible. Washington was in com- 
mand of a detachment moving toward the west, and Half King kept 
him warned of the French movements, but after defeating Jumonville 
at Mountain Meadows he was defeated at Fort Necessity." 




138 



FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 



[1754] 



"A convention from the several colonies was called at New York in 
June, 1754, can you tell ine why, and who was the leading man in the 
movement ?" 

11 The first object was to secure the frendship of the Six 
Nations, and that was done. The leading man was Benjamin 
Franklin, a native of Boston, and the son of a tallow chandler," said 
Josie. 

" I'll tell you, — he was the boy who went without meat for two 
years so as to buy books with the money which it would have cost. 

And he made the wonderful discovery 
that he could ' bring down the lightning,' " 
added Ray. 

" Was that all about him ? " 
" No, he was the author of ' Poor 
Richard's Almanac,' and he was eighty- 
two years old when he died," answered 
Ruth. 

" Was that all ? " 

" When he went to Philadelphia 
he did not have more than a hundred 
dollars, but he soon owned a printing press 
and office, and started a paper which always defended freedom of speech 
and thought and the power of the people. At that time there were 
no settlements beyond the Alleghany mountains, with the exception of 
the homes of men who went among the Indians as fur traders, and 
lived with them," added Bennie 

" He believed in the union of the colonies under one government, 
the colonies to manage their own affairs as usual, but to act together in 
all matters pertaining to the welfare of all. His plan was finally adopted 
and the United States of America had seen a beginning. Yet no one 
seemed to recognize the fact. The plan was condemned in England 
because it would make the colonies independent, and certain of the 
English statesmen could foresee what it would surely lead to, and the 




HALF KING. 



FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 



139 



board of trade would not present it to the king's notice," continued 

Katie. 

[1755] " What more about the war ? " 

" Major General Edward Braddock was appointed commander-in- 
chief of the American army, and came over with a force of a thousand 
men, the largest force of regulars England had ever sent to the colonies. 
General Braddock knew the theory of war, but his experience was small, 
and he had boundless faith in him- 
self," said Jake. 

" Perhaps that was why he met 
with such an overwhelming defeat. 
Can you tell me about it, Bessie ? " 

" Braddock thought that the reg- 
ulars of the British army could do 
anything, and had a great contempt for 
the provincial troops. But he had sense 
enough to offer Washington a place 
as aide-de-camp, with the rank of col 
onel, although he would take advice 
from no one. To Franklin he said : — 
'These savages may seem formidable 
to your raw militia, but upon the King's disciplined troops, sir, it is 
impossible that they should make any impression.' " 

"But they did!" shouted Phinney. "Braddock would not accept 
the guidance of famous Indian fighters and hunters, and instead of 
pushing on as fast as possible, he smoothed the roads as he went, even 
bridging the small streams. His temper was a little ruffled at the 
roughness of the road, and it took him twice the time that it should have 
done. The army finally reached a point on the Monongahela river, 
about fifteen miles above Fort Duquesne, and followed along its bank. 
Washington urged him to send the Virginia Rangers in advance to pre- 
vent surprise, but was sternly rebuked, and the angry general ordered 
the Rangers to the rear." 




FRANKLIN'S PRINTING PRESS. 



140 FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

"Then I suppose they had the safest place ? " 

" Perhaps the regulars thought so, but they had to bear their part 
after all, and they saved what was left of the king's men. Hardly 
a scout was thrown out in advance, and the English were marching along 
a narrow road when the attack came. Washington wanted Braddock to 
allow his men to fight from behind trees as the Indians did, but he 




DISASTROUS DEFEAT OF GENERAL BRADDOCK. 

refused, saying that only cowards would think of such a thing, although 
he saw that that was just what the Rangers were doing ! Braddock tried 
in vain to rally 'the king's disciplined troops,' they were panic stricken at 
such a murderous fire from a hidden foe. The despised Rangers made 
all the resistance that was made, checked the Indians, covered the retreat 
and saved the army from utter annihilation," said Charlie. 

" What did Braddock say to them then ?" 

" He said nothing — he- was mortally wounded. He had five horses, 
shot under him before he fell. Every mounted officer, except Washing- 
ton, was wounded or killed. Washington rode from one part of the field 



FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 141 

to another, carrying orders and rallying the men, and, after the fight was 
over, he found that four bullets had passed through his coat, but he was 
unharmed, although two horses had been shot under him. About fifteen 
years afterwards an old chief told him that he was there, that he singled 
him out and fired at him repeatedly, and ordered his young men to do so- 
When their bullets were turned aside in such a mysterious manner they 
decided that the Great Spirit was protecting him," continued Nettie. 
" What did the English do then ?" 

GENERAL BRADDOCK'S HEAVY LOSS. 

" What could they do," returned Hadley. "The French and Indian 
loss was not more than sixty killed and wounded, while they lost sixty- 
two out of eighty-six officers, over seven hundred regulars, and the 
Rangers lost heavily, for they not only had the hardest of the battle, but 
some were killed by the random shots of the frightened regulars ! 
Dunbar succeeded Braddock in command, but was so frightened that he 
retreated to Philadelphia and went into winter quarters, leaving the fron- 
tier exposed." 

"I should say that the colonists were mad then!" exclaimed Ray. 

" Well, they did not have much veneration left forthe king's soldiers, 
and they were justly proud that their own men saved the utter rout. 
Washington's conduct merited praise, and his countrymen, as well as the 
Indians, thought that God was guarding him for some noble purpose. 
The frontier towns were destroyed although Washington and his Rangers 
did the best they could to protect them," said Josie. 

" The Pennsylvania frontier was relieved by Colonel John Arm- 
strong, who attacked and burned the Indian village of Kittanning, 
where the chief, called Captain Jacob, lived. What were left of the Indians 
went further west, and did not trouble the settlers of that region any 
more," said Ray. 

" Were these places all the points of attack ? " 

" No, an expedition of three thousand New England troops, under 
Colonel John Winslow, were sent to Nova Scotia. The Acadians agreed 



142 FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

to remain neutral, trie English agreed to excuse them from fighting 
against France, and not require the oath of allegiance. But their fair 
possessions aroused envy, and it was decided to make them take the oath 
or submit to banishment," answered Ruth. 

" The Acadians begged to be allowed to sell their possessions and 
go away, but that was refused, the English commander saying : ' Take 
the oath or your property will be confiscated. It is for me to command, 
for you to obey,'" added Bennie. 

"He was even more cruel to the Micmac Indians," continued Katie. 
"He demanded instant submission of them. 'What,' answered an indig- 
nant chief, ' The land on which you sleep is ours ; we sprang from it as 
do the trees, the grass, and the flowers. It is ours forever, and we will 
not yield it to any man.' Whereupon ten guineas were offered for every 
Indian taken or killed, the claimant to show the body or scalp." 

STORY OF THE ACADIAN PEASANTS. 

"Why were the English so eager for Acadia now, when it had been 
ceded to them since 17 13, and the inhabitants had not been molested 
before? " 

" Because they had not known what a desirable country it was. 
Some night, after our lesson is done, we must read Longfellow's beautiful 
poem of Evangeline. Can we ? " asked Jake. 

" ' Still stands the forest primeval, but under the shade of its branches 
Dwells another race, with other customs and language. 
Only along the shore of the lonely and mystic Atlantic 
Linger a few Acadian peasants, whose fathers from exile 
Wandered back to their native land to die in its bosom.' " 
Ray quoted. 

" But the Acadians did offer to take the oath after their title deeds 
had been taken from them, but were told that it was too late. You see 
it was not a part of the plan that they should have a chance to retain 
their prosperous homes," declared Bessie. 

" Then," sighed Marion, " they were torn from their homes and sent 



FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 141 

to the English colonies in the United States. Their cattle and lands 
were taken, their houses burned, and no precaution was used to put all 
the members of a family on the same vessel. Many were separated, 
never to see each other again. Some of them fled to the woods, and 
found a welcome in the huts of the so-called savages." 

"I read a story of that time," saidPhinney, " and it is very much like 
that of Evangeline, only it has a better ending. ' A beautiful maiden, 
daughter of a wealthy citizen of Grand Pre, was to be married in the 
church there, to a son of a local magistrate of the village, on the very 
day when Winslow pronounced the doom of the colony. They were 
dressed for the nuptials, which were to be celebrated immediately after 
the conference with the English, in the presence of the inhabitants of 
the settlement. Alas, the young man was among the prisoners then 
made, and doomed to perpetual exile. As he passed to the ship, in the 
sorrowful procession, he kissed the kneeling, heart-broken maiden and 
said hurriedly : "Adele, trust in God and all will be well." He was landed 
in New York city, and made his way to the St. Lawrence, where he 
became a trader with the Indians. 

CAPTIVE MAIDEN OF AN OLD CHIEF. 

" 'A fortnight later the maiden and her mother followed and were also 
landed in New York. They accepted the hospitality of a Huguenot 
family far up the Hudson river. Soon after a band of Mohawks, because 
of some affront, made a raid on the settlement, and the maiden was car- 
ried away, the captive of the old chief who led the band. Meanwhile 
Jean Baptiste Ee Coeur, the young Acadian lover, had never lost his faith 
in the prophesy of his heart at parting, that he and Adele would meet 
again and be happy. He was trading with some Mohawks at the French 
mission at Crown Point, when one of the young barbarians told him that 
a beautiful French girl, the captive of an old chief who treated her as 
tenderly as a daughter, was then in the Scarron valley. He was instantly 
impressed with the idea that she was his lost Adele, and accompanied the 
young Mohawk to Lake Scarron, where he found the lodge of the chief. 



144 FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

" 'As lie approached it in the shadows of the forest, he saw a young 
woman, with her back toward him, sitting on a mat at the door of the 
wigwam, feathering arrows. On her head was a French cap. Her neck 
was fair. He approached her gently. Their eyes met. The maiden 
sprang from the mat, uttering a wild cry of "Jean ! " and fell, fainting, 
into his arms. It was a moment of supreme joy. The prophesy of Le 
Cceur's heart was fulfilled. The old chief, touched with mercy and com- 
passion, gave away his pale-face daughter before the altar at Crown Point, 
where the affianced at Grand Pre were married by a revered priest of the 
beloved church, in the bosom of the wilderness. Their descendants now 
occupy a high social position in Montreal.' " 

" Were these Acadians farmers ?" 

"They were mostly farmers and fishermen, and over seven thousand 
of them were exiled, scattered from New Hampshire to Georgia. For 
many years the colonial papers contained advertisements for lost ones 
who were never found. Some of them returned to their homes, but were 
driven away again," answered Marcella. 

LARGE NUMBER FLEE TO CANADA. 

" And more than three thousand of them fled to Canada, but were 
soon under English rule again. So the} 7 gave up in despair, and 
' All was ended now, the hope, and the fear, and the sorrow ; 
All the aching of heart, the restless, unsatisfied longing, 
All the deep, dull pain, and constant anguish of patience.' " 
sighed Josie. 

"While a part of the English were disgracing themselves in 
Acadia, their fellows were working with more credit elsewhere," said 
Ray. " General William Johnson marched toward the headwater of the 
Hudson, and joined General Lyman's command at the head of boat navi- 
gation. Here Fort Lyman was built, but Johnson afterwards changed 
the name to Fort Edward." 

" Then Johnson left a part of his force to garrison it, and proceeded 
against Crown Point, while the French commander started for Fort 



FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 145 

Edward. He learned from his scouts that the fort was well defended, 
but that Johnson's camp was without cannon, and changed his plans. 
Meanwhile Johnson, ignorant of this, sent a force to help the fort, which 
was ambushed, and Williams, commander of the whites, and the famous 
chief, Hendrick, a Mohawk, who sided with the English, were both killed. 
Both English and Indians retreated to the camp as fast as they could, 
and their pursuers, as soon as they were inside of the rude breastworks, 
were received with a terrible fire of grape. It was the turn of the Can- 
adians and their Indian allies to run, which they did, leaving their com- 
mander a prisoner. He was treated kindly and sent to England where 
he died of his wounds," added Ruth. 

"Was that all?" 

" An expedition under General Shirley against Fort Niagara was 
not any more successful, and, by Braddock's death, Shirley became chief 
of the British forces in America until the arrival of Lord Loudon. He 
had the same contempt of the provincials that Braddock had, and would 
never give them their share of the honor, although he was willing enough 
that they should have more than their share of the perils," exclaimed 
Bennie. 

" Meanwhile Montcalm, the French commander in Canada, reached 
Quebec, put Ticonderoga in a state of good defence, and marched against 
the English forts at Oswego. He captured all the supplies which 
Shirley had prepared for a march against Niagara. He destroyed the 
forts and retreated to Canada. Loudon, failing to harm the French, 
began to try to teach the colonists that he was a great commander. His 
course was a miserable failure, as was that of the most of theroval com- 
manders," concluded Mamma Nelson. 



;<; 




CHAPTER IX. 

AD actual war been declared by Great 
Britain?" asked Mamma Nelson, when 
[1756] all were read}^. 

" No, there had been fighting two years before 
she declared war in 1756. In a little over a year 
came the terrible massacre at Fort William 
Henry," replied Charlie. 

" What about that ? It seems as if every- 
thing was terrible in those days," ejaculated 
Bennie. 

" General Montcalm and the Earl of Lon- 
don were opposed to each other in the north of 
New York. The two men were very different. Montcalm was quick, 
resolute, and active, while Loudon was very slow, pompous, and arro- 
gant. In Loudon's absence Montcalm appeared before Fort William 
Henry with about six thousand French and Canadians, and seventeen 
hundred Indians. The place was under the command of a British 
officer, named Colonel Monroe," said Nettie. 
" How many men had he ? " 
" Only three thousand. Montcalm demanded a surrender, Monroe 
refused , and sent to General Webbe for help. Webbe was at Fort 
Edward, fifteen miles away, and might easily have come and saved th( 
fort, but did not. Colonel Putnam begged permission to go with his 
own regiment, and started, but Webbe soon recalled him, and sent a 
letter advising Monroe to surrender. Montcalm was on the point oi 
giving up the siege when he captured the messenger with that letter, 
and immediately sent it to Monroe with an other demand for surrender. 

146 






BATTLE OF QUEBEC. 



147 



But that brave officer held out until his guns were nearly all disabled, 
and his ammunition gone, then he raised a white flag. 

" Montcalm was a true hero, generous to a foe, and he gave him 
liberal terms. The Indians had been kept from ( fire-water' by the wise 
Montcalm, but they got it at the fort, and immediately began to plunder 
the English ; from 
that they began to kill, 
the French officers 
tried to stop them, and 
some were wounded in 
so doing. Montcalm 
begged the Indians to 
respect the English 
who were under his pro- 
tection as prisoners of 
war, but all who could 
not reach the French 
camp, or hide, were 
killed, — men, women, 
and children, sick or 
wounded," replied 
Hadley. 

"What did Lord 
Loudon do about that?" 

" Oh, he-concluded 
that it was not a safe montcalm. 

place for him to stay in, and went to Long Island to defend the 
continent," laughed Josie. 

" And with the exception of Acadia the French held all the terriory 
which they had occupied at the beginning of the war. The English had 
been driven from the Ohio valley, had lost the forts at Owego and 
William Henry, with large quantities of supplies, and warlike Indians 
were harassing the frontier," added Ray. 





143 



BATTLE OF QUEBEC 



149 



"I should say that those royal commanders should have been put 
on the retired list. Why didn't they give the command to Washington ?" 
asked Ruth indignantly. 

"Because they were jealous of the colonies and kept them in the 




WILLIAM PITT. 

background as much as they could. But the fire was kindling which 
burst into the blaze of the Revolutionary war, and there were some men 
at that time who were far-sighted enough to see what was coming, both 
in England and America," nodded Bennie. 

"Why didn't the home government put a stop to it then ? " 



150 BATTLE OF QUEBEC. 

"The king changed his ministry at last, and put William Pitt, 
afterwards Earl of Chatham, at the head of the new one. He was a 
truly great man, and in sympathy with the Americans, or with the prin- 
ciple of justice. He said that all money which had been paid out by 
the colonies would be refunded, and that England would assume all the 
expense of the war. The colonies were required to furnish troops, but 
they were to be armed and equipped as well as the regulars, and at the 
king's expense," answered Katie. 

EXPEDITION AGAINST LEWISBURG. 

"Instead of one supreme command three were organized, under 
three different officers. The expedition against Louisburg was under 
Lord Jeffrey Amherst, assisted by Brigadier-General James 
Wolfe. General Forbes had command of the Ohio valley, and 
the expedition against Ticonderoga and Crown Point was given to 
General Abercrombie, assisted by Lord George Howe. Louisburg was 
taken July 27, 1758," added Jake. 

"Stark and Putnam were with Abercrombie, and the division had 
little confidence in their commander, but were devoted to Lord Howe, 
who was killed in a fight near Ticonderoga, when the English were 
repulsed. Montcalm was at the fort in person, cheering his men, and 
even distributing refreshments to them. The English were practically 
without a leader, for Abercrombie " 

" Was a figurehead of royalty, and about as good as a wooden man 
in a fight !" interrupted Bessie scornfully. "I read about him last 
night, and then father got out an old history which blamed him more 
than the one which we study. He took his station about two miles from 
the field, in a place which he thought was safer for him, and kept order- 
ing his brave men to charge, which they did in gallant style. The 
French commander was something like — he was right with his men, 
cheering them on." 

" If the king had sent us such men," began Phinney. 

"Or if he had let us choose our own commanders," added Charlie. 



BATTLE OF QUEBEC. 151 

"The war would have ended quick," Nettie concluded. 

" But he didn't, and wishing for them did not save the day at 
Ticonderoga," said Hadley. "Abercrombie made no attempt to rally 
the men after the Hue broke — he was too badly frightened, and retreated 
as fast as he could, although he still had more than three times as many 
men as the French had !" 

" Montcalm was astonished, but did not follow him up with his 
small force. General Amherst was put in command, and Abercrombie 
departed for England, but left no mourners behind him," added Josie. 

AMERICA'S FRIEND, WILLIAM PITT. 

" Abercrombie laid all the blame on the Americans, but he could 
not deceive William Pitt. Did the English do any better without 
him ?" asked Mamma Nelson. 

" Yes," answered Ray quickly. "Colonel Bradstreet took Fort Fron- 
tenac, an important place at the foot of Lake Ontario, which commanded 
the lake and the St. Lawrence river, and was the main supply station 
for that region. His men were all Americans, and reached the place 
before the French knew they were coming. It was a capture of the 
greatest importance, it led to the abandonment of Ohio by the French." 

"The Virginians had another chance to save the king's regulars 
when General Bouquet sent Major Grant to attack Fort Duquesne with- 
out orders, aud they fell into an ambush. The Virgiuians were guard- 
ing the baggage in the rear as usual, but rallied and saved the royal 
troops from utter annihilation. Both Grant aud Lewis were captured," 
cried Ruth triumphantly. 

"Then Washington learned from some prisoners that Fort Duquesne 
was held by a very small garrison, as the Indians had left, and he was 
sent to attack it, with twenty-five hundred picked troops. When the 
French saw them coming they ruined the fort as much as possible and 
left it without firing a gun. General Forbes changed the name to Fort 
Pitt, and it has since developed into the splendid city of Pittsburg. Two 
regiments were left to garrison it," added Bennie. 




152 



WASHINGTON' PLANTING THE FLAG ON TORT DUQUESNE. 



BATTLE OF QUEBEC. 153 

"The colonists were proud of Washington, but lie got no thanks 
from the English," continued Katie, "and the Indians began to think 
that their safety was in making peace with the English, and signed 
treaties of neutrality." 
[1759] "Why did Pitt not follow up the advantage he had gained?" 

'.'He did," asserted Jake. "Amherst was sent to take Ticonderoga 
and Crown Point, which he did without a battle, as they were abandoned 
at his approach, then he was expected to go on and lay siege to Montreal, 
but he did not reach that place, as no boats were provided for him. General 
Prideaux was to capture Fort Niagara and then join Amherst, but he was 
killed by the bursting of a gun before the fort surrendered, and the com- 
mand was taken by Sir William Johnson, whocould not go down the river to 
assist Wolfe, for want of boats and provisions. Wolfe proceeded against 
Quebec, which was commanded by Montcalm in person. Montcalm knew 
that his force was inferior, but trusted to his fortifications, and the natural 
strength of his position. He had every landing place carefully guarded 
and the whole cliff bristled with cannon." 

GLORIOUS DEATH OF GENERAL WOLFE. 

" Any of you can tell me how Wolfe reached the Plains of Abraham 
and gave his life to win the day. When told that the French were 
retreating he exclaimed : ' Now, God be praised, I die happy.' Moncton, 
second in command was also wounded, and the command devovled upon 
General Townshend, who was a brave man but not a competent officer. 
He did not follow up the advantage which Wolfe had gained." 

" What of Montcalm ? " demanded Bessie. " I want to hear about 
him. Of course I am glad that Quebec was taken, but he was as brave 
as Wolfe was, and he thought that he was on the right side." 

" And he was — for him," declared Marion. 

"He was mortally wounded, and when told that it was so he smiled 
and replied : — ' So much the better, I shall not live to see Quebec sur- 
render.' His last act was to write a letter to the English commander, 
asking generous treatment for the French prisoners. 



154 



BATTLE OF QUEBEC. 



" Wolfe and Montcalm, — each one brave and honorable, — their 
names are forever linked together, for, on the spot where the fate of 
Quebec was decided, the Canadian people have erected a monument with 
their names upon it," said Phinney. 

"In April, 1760, the French commander at Montreal attacked 
Quebec, but retreated when the British fleet came. The next fall 
General Amherst took Montreal, and Canada was in the hands 



[1760] 



of the English. 



Detroit and other points on the lakes followed, 
— and there were no more fights 
between the French and English, 
but the Indians kept it up for some 
years. The treaty of peace was 
signed in 1763, and Great Britain was 
given all the French territory east of 
the Mississippi, except New Orleans 
and two small islands near New- 
foundland. Florida was given to 
England by Spain, in exchange for 
Havana. France gave Spain the 
islaud of New Orleans, and all Lou- 
isiana west of the Mississippi. In 
fact, all the laud west of the Mis- 
sissippi was claimed by Spain, and 
France had not a foot of land left 
A CIVILIZED INDIAN. in the United States," said Charlie. 

" Wasn't there another Indian war in 1760 ? " 

"Yes, the Cherokees had always been friendly to the English, and 
had helped them in protecting the frontier, but they had received no pay 
or food, and had been obliged to subsist 011 what they took from the 
settlers. This led to a border war, and Lyttleton, Governor of South 
Carolina, prevented peace, because he wanted the tribe exterminated." 

" So the Cherokees had to fight, and induced the Muscogees to join 
them. Then began a war almost without hope of success, and waged 




BATTLE OF QUEBEC. 



155 



without mercy. General Amherst sent twelve hundred men under 
General Montgomery, who marched through the Cherokee country and 
left it a desolate waste. This tribe had villages, cultivated land, and were 
becoming civilized. They were driven to the mountains, but carried on 
a guerrilla warfare for some time," said Hadley. 

"Did this end the Indian wars ? " 

"No; the red men did not like English rule, and did like the 
French. Pontiac, chief of the Otta- 
was, was one of the most bitter. He 
was a Catabaw by birth, but, taken 
prisoner and adopted by the Ottawas, 
he became chief by his bravery and 
skill, and his adopted people loved 
him. He was a sagacious leader, 
and tried to unite all the tribes from 
the Alleghanies to the Mississippi. 
When about to try to take Detroit the 
Indians cut the stocks of their guns, 
so that they could carry them under ^^ 



their blankets. But the plot was 
revealed to Major Gladwin by an 
Ojibwa Indian girl, and did not 
succeed. Pontiac then gave the 
signal for war, and in less than 
three weeks had captured all the forts west of Niagara, with the excep- 
tion of Detroit and Pittsburg. Most of the garrisons were killed, more 
than a hundred traders were murdered, and over five hundred families 
driven from their settlements," added Bennie. 

" But poor Pontiac," sighed Katie. " He was deserted by his follow- 
ers, even by his own people, yet would not submit. He left his home 
and set out for the western tribes, thinking to incite them to war upon 
the hated English. Lord Amherst offered a reward for his murder, and 
he fell by the assassin's hand." 




=^ 






PONTIAC. 



BATTLE OF QUEBEC. 157 

"So the long war was ended, but it cost the colonies more than the Brit- 
ish government refunded. On the other hand it broughttrade, taught the 
colonists their strength, and trained Washington, Morgan, Gates, Stark, 
Putnam and Montgomery for the work awaiting them," said Hadley. 

" Did England use the colonies any better for their bravery and 
skill in these wars ?" 

"No, they seemed to think that the treaty of Paris, which closed 
the French and Indian war, gave them the right to do as they pleased 
in America, without consulting the colonists in any way, and they began 
to pass laws to suit themselves but not the people whose rights they 
completely ignored," answered Jake 

" Can you tell me any of these unjust laws ?" 

ALL AMERICAN INDUSTRIES TAXED. 

"The navigation act crippled the commerce, and also increased the 
dependence of the colonies in Great Britain, every kind of industry was 
taxed with the hope of crushing it out of America. They were obliged 
to sell all of their produce in England, and buy all necessary articles from 
there ; they could trade with no foreign country ; even the trees, which 
would make masts, were marked 'for the king,' and it was a crime, even 
for the owner of the land, to cut one." 

" Did the colonists submit to this?" 
r "No, they did not!" asserted Bessie. "They kept establishing 

manufactories. In 1761, when a custom officer tried to enforce 
his right of search, James Otis, a royal attorney, resigned his office and 
made a spirited plea for the colonists. John Adams said — 'then and 
there was the first opposition to the arbitrary acts of Great Britain ; then 
and there American Independence was born." 

" And then the American people pledged themselves not to buy any 
more of England than they could possibly help. They made their own 
cloth, and the whole nation dressed in homespun; that is, the patriots 
did. But England was blind to the signs of the times, and kept making 
the laws harder all the time," said Marion. 



168 



BATTLE OF QUEBEC. 



"Well, the colonists did not owe England anything!" exclaimed 
Phinney indignantly. " She never noticed except to make fun of them, 
unless she wanted money, and her people seemed to think them of an 
inferior race, yet they clung to the mother land, resolved to use peaceful 

means of redress 
if possible." 

"Samuel Adams 
was one of the first 
to realize that a 
separation from 
England was com- 
ing. He was in- 
sensible to fear 
in the discharge of 
any duty ; a man 
of great integrity 
and modesty and 
possessed of an elo- 
quence which 
could sway a mul- 
titude. His plan 
was a simple one, 
'have their rights, 
peaceably if they 
could, forcibly if 
they must,' " ad- 
samuel adams. ded Marcella. 

" In Virginia it was Patrick Henry who took the part of the people. 
His father was Scotch, and a nephew of the historian Robertson. In 
early life he appeared as a 'ne'er do weel,' too lazy to follow any regular 
occupation, but about 1755 he pleaded the cause of the people against 
taxation, and his peculiar gift was recognized. He could thrill any 
audience by his eloquence, and hold its attention for hours, generally 




BATTLE OF QUEBEC. 



159 



winning his point as a lawyer. He was a delegate to the first general 
Congress at Philadelphia, and was the first speaker. He was three times 
governor of Virginia, and was secretary of state in 1795," said Charlie. 
" Then came the Stamp Act, in March 1765, when the king sent over 
a lot of stamped paper, npon which everything must be written to be 




HANGING A STAMP ACT OFFICIAL IN EFFIGY. 

ri7R^~1 l e £ a ^ whether a note, an agreement, or a marriage certificate. 
The paper was very high priced, and must be bought of the 
royal officers. The Boston people were the first to refuse to use it. 
They made a straw image, dressed in the old clothes of the British officer 
who sold the paper, and hung it to a tree on the Common. A great crowd 
gathered under the 'Liberty Tree' in Charleston, South Carolina, to listen 
to an address by General Gadsen. They pledged themselves to 'resist 



160 BATTLE OF QUEBEC 

English oppression to the death.' Sir Henry Clinton had the tree cut 

down, the branches piled high against the trunk, and all burned, but he 

could not burn the love of liberty which was springing into life in the 

hearts of the American people," added Nettie. 

r " The act was repealed in a year, and then the Sons of Libert}^ 

LI7ddJ 

made a lead statue of the king and set it up in Bowling Green, 

New York," nodded Hadley. 

"I know that, but when the Declaration of Independence was 
declared this statue was taken down and run into bullets by the Daugh- 
ters of Liberty !" laughed Josie. 

PITT'S ELOQUENT DEFENSE OF AMERICA. 

"They were indebted to William Pitt for that repeal," declared Ray. 
"He was old and ill, but he went to the House of Commons and made a 
speech, of which this is a part : — ' The gentleman tells us that 
■- -" America is obstinate ; that America is almost in rebellion ; I 
rejoice that America has resisted. If they had submitted they would 
voluntarily have become slaves. They have been driven to madness by 
injustice. My opinion is that the Stamp Act should be repealed abso- 
lutely, totally, immediately.' The members of the House were angry 
and astonished, but it did no good, the seed was sown. Edmund Burke 
sustained the appeal, the House began to waver, but hesitated, wanting to 
find out the exact disposition of the Americans in the matter." 

" And that was what Benjamin Franklin was waiting to tell them !" 
cried Ruth. " And he did it, too. So the Act was repealed, but England 
refused to learn a lesson. 

" The news was welcomed with wild joy in America," Jake con- 
tinued. " Bells were rung, and Pitt was hailed as the champion of 
American liberty. These rejoicings were rather ahead of time, for Eng- 
land was only resting to debate what she could do next. Then Charles 
Tovvnshend became the director in colonial affairs, declared that he 
would have a revenue from America and thought up a very ingenious 
plan of taxation, especially on tea." 



BATTLE OF QUEBEC 161 

"Which was received with indignation in America, and the people 
vowed to eat, drink, and wear nothing which came from England. They 
even drove the Commissioners of Customs into the fort on Castle Island 
for safety," laughed Bennie. "Then England sent troops under General 
Gage, to 'overawe that insolent town of Boston' and hold Massachu- 
setts. He had difficulty in getting his men quartered ; the soldiers 
treated Boston as a conquered city, and daily the feeling between them 
and the citizens increased." 

CONFLICT IN THE STREETS OF BOSTON. 

" Until it led to the Boston Massacre in 1770," said Mamma Nelson. 
" It has been said that Captain Preston gave the order to fire, 
L -I when three men were killed, and eight wounded, two of them 
fatally, and of the eleven, only one had any share in the disturbance. 
Preston and his men were arrested, stood trial, and the troops were 
removed from Boston. Two of the soldiers were found guilty of man- 
slaughter, and the rest were acquitted. When the British merchants 
found that the colonists would not buy of them they began to want the 
tax laws repealed, and all were, except the one on tea. The king resolved 
to keep that so ' there should always be one tax, at least, to keep up the 
right of taxation.' What happened ? " 

" The people would buy no tea, and it accumulated on the hands of 
the West India Company, until they offered to pay the tax so that they 
could sell the tea in America, but the king would not listen to such a 
thing," replied Katie. " He said it would look as if he had given up the 
right of a taxation. Then it was proposed for the Company to pay 
three-fourths of the tax, which would leave three pence a pound for the 
colonists to pay. The king might have agreed to this, but the Ameri- 
cans wouldn't. Samuel Adams and others began to prepare the people 
for the trial of strength which was sure to come." 

"Several ship loads of tea came to Boston in November, 1773. 

■-.— ^-. When the first one reached that port a meeting was held in 
[1773] 

Faneuil Hall, and the owner agreed to send the cargo back if the 

11 



162 BATTLE OF QUEBEC. 

governor would give him a permit to leave the harbor. The tea must be 
landed within twenty days, or it could be seized for nonpayment of 
duties," said Bessie. 

" Yes, they meant to have the tea taken and sold by the royal offi- 
cers, for then the duties would be paid," cried Marion. " The last day 
came and nothing had been done. The governor was absent — on purpose. 
Another meeting was held, and the captain said that he could get no 
permit to leave. A silence followed this announcement, for everyone 
realized that the time for action had come." 

THRILLING RIDE OF PAUL REVERE. 

"And the action came with the time !" ej aculated Phinney. " Samuel 
Adams broke the silence with the words which have been recorded in 
history : — ' This meeting can do nothing more to save our country !' As 
if the words were a signal the dreadful Indian war-cry was heard and a 
large party of seeming Indians rushed by the door to the wharf. In three 
hours three hundred and forty chests of tea were emptied and floating 
on the water of the harbor. Paul Revere went as fast as a horse could 
carry him to take the news to New York and Philadelphia. The colo- 
nists were everywhere united for liberty, and other tea ships were in a 
hurry to take their cargoes and leave the dangerous land of America ! 
A large crowd watched from the shore while the tea was being thrown 
overboard, and, although one old woman was heard to say it was a pity to 
lose so much good tea, not one tried to stop it." 

" I can beat that with a story," exclaimed Marcella. "One of the 
men carried home a brewing, unknown to him, in his shoes. His wife 
found it and laid it away as a souvenir which she sold for quite a sum in 
after years." 

"I wonder what the people did in other places," questioned Ray. 

" In New York and Philadelphia they would not let the ships land 
their cargoes ; in Charleston the tea was stored in a damp cellar, where 
it spoiled ; and at Annapolis a ship with its cargo was burned, and, 
strangest of all, it was burned by the owner," said Charlie. 



BATTLE OF QUEBEC. 163 

" What did England say to all this ?" 

" They were angry, and still determined to make America submit. 
They even boasted that ' with ten thousand regulars they could march 
through the country ' and they would make the colonies sorry for what 
had been done. On the other hand, the colonists did not have as much 
fear of 'the king's own' as they might have had if they had not fought 
with them in the French and Indian war," laughed Nettie. 

THE SONG SUNG BY THE CHILDREN. 

" Now I want to tell you a song which even the little children 
shouted after the tea was thrown overboard. I will tell you only the first 
and last verses," said Bennie, eagerly, then he repeated : — 
" ' There was an old lady lived over the sea, 

And she was an Island Queen ; 
Her daughter lived off in a new countrie, 

With an ocean of water between ; 
The old lady's pockets were full of gold, 

But never content was she, 
So she called on her daughter to pay her a tax 

Of three pence a pound on her tea, — 
Oh, she called on her daughter to pay her a tax 
Of three pence a pound on her tea. 

' The tea was conveyed to the daughter's door, 

All down by the ocean side, 
And the bouncing girl poured out every pound 

In the dark and boiling tide ; 
And then she called out to the Island Queen, 

" Oh, mother, dear mother," quoth she, 
"Your tea you may have when 'tis steeped enough, 

But never a tax from me, — 
Your tea you may have when 'tis steeped enough, 

But never a tax from me ! " ' " 

"Well," continued Katie, "the British resolved to make a terrible 
example at Boston, and passed a law closing the port to all commerce, 



264 BATTLE OF QUEBEC. 

and declaring Salem to be the seat of government. Salem and Marble- 
head offered their ports to Boston, free of charge, and the whole country 
sent aid to the men thrown out of employment. From all over the 
land money and food poured into the closed city." 

"I saw that even the city of London sent one hundred and fifty 
thousand dollars, and Boston resolved to hold fast to the bitter end. 
General Gage was appointed Governor of Massachusetts, and arrived at 
Boston, May 17, 1774/' said Jake. 

" He was too mild and good natured for the task, and was puzzled 
how to manage the patriots, whom he saw were terribly in earnest. 
He had orders to arrest Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Joseph 
L'' /4 J Warren, and others, but— he did not dare to do it ! He saw that 
the people would resist the injustice of England, but they kept within 
the bounds of the law in all things, and he could find no excuse for 
making ' examples ' of them. And so matters went on, from bad to 
worse, and the cooler headed ones saw what the end must be," con- 
cluded Mamma Nelson. 

"The lesson is done, and now we can tell it," cried Charlie. Mamma 
Nelson smiled and nodded, and he went on excitedly. " We have an invita- 
tion from the Concord History Club to follow Paul Revere's ride and 
accept their hospitality for a day. There, what do you say ? " 

" We say ' thank you,' and — can we go, Mamma Nelson ? " shouted 

Ray. 

" I think so," was the smiling answer. "But we will not make this 
a lesson day, as we did the visit to Plymouth. They want us to come 
next Saturday if pleasant." 

And when Saturday came the Club declared that Dame Nature had 
given them the loveliest day of the whole year, and they certainly 
enjoyed every moment of it. When they returned each one wore, as a 
souvenir, a tiny silver pin, a miniature representation of the Minute Men 
of the Revolution. 

" If only such days would last forever," sighed Marcella, and the 
wish was echoed by them all. 




CHAPTER X. 

HO were the Green Mountain Boys, 
and what is meant by their re- 
bellion in 1774?" asked Mamma 
Nelson. 
" A small body of Vermont militia were known 
by that name ; they were led against Ticonderoga 
by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold," answered 
Charlie. 

"Not the Arnold that tried to betray" 

Bessie stopped in astonishment. 

u The very same," said Nettie. "He was a 
brilliant and daring officer, but treacherous and jealous. When 
Andre sent him word of his capture he ran awa^v instead of trying 
to help him in any way, and fought on the British side during the 
rest of the war." 

" Ethan Allen was the Robin Hood of Vermont," Hadley went on. 
"He was born in 1737 and died in 1789, and had five brothers and a 
sister. I can tell you a story about the Green Mountain Boys. At 
Green Mountain Tavern, at Bennington, the sign was twenty-five feet 
from the ground, and upon the post was a stuffed catamount, its great 
teeth grinning towards New York. There was a certain Dutchman who 
was very active against the Green Mountain Boys, saying some hard 
and untrue things about them. One day he was taken, gently tied 
into an easy chair, and carefully hoisted until he was just under the 
sign. Then the rope was wound around the post, leaving him swinging 
there, and there he was kept for over two hours, to the great amusement 
of the crowd which gathered at the foot of the post to keep him company." 



1G6 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



" But no one has told us about the rebellion of the Green Mountain 
Boys yet," said Mamma Nelson chidingly. 

"It didn't amount to much," answered Josie. " I couldn't find a 
mention of it in the modern histories. It was what led to the organiza- 
tion of the Green Mountain Boys, and it was to resist the authority of 
New York, which claimed Vermont as a part of her territory." 

"The first Continental Congress met in Carpenter's Hall, at Phila- 
delphia, in September, 1774, with delegates from every colony except 
Georgia, where the governor had prevented any from being elected. 

When the peti- 
tion which they 
drew up was pre- 
sented in Eng- 
land, William 
Pitt said : ' We 
shall be forced 
ultimately to re- 
tract ; let us re- 
tract while we 
can, not when 
we must. These 

CARPENTER'S HALL, PHILADELPHIA. violent acts 

must be repealed; you will repeal them ; I pledge myself for it ; I stake 
my reputation on it, that you will in the end repeal them. Avoid then 
this humiliating necessity,' " said Ray. 

" But the king was furious when he heard that, and he went on in 
his own stubborn way. There was nothing more to be done with the 
hope of avoiding war," added Ruth. 

" Orders were sent to America to seize all the forts and supplies. 
In obedience, General Gage prepared to seize the stores at Concord, and 
meanwhile the patriots were not idle, but were taking care of what they 
could get hold of," nodded Bennie. 

"Yes, Putnam told them to 'keep strict guard over the remairder 




THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



167 



of the powder, for that must be the great means, under God, of the 
salvation of our country,'" said Katie. 

" Let me tell you a story about Israel Putnam before we go on," cried 
Bennie. 

" Oh, we've all heard the story of bearding the wolf in her den. 
It is as old as Washington's hatchet story ! " exclaimed Bessie. 

" And that of riding down the steep hill when the British were after 
him. Say did you know that Lafayette's dragoons rode down that same 

place for the fun of the 
thing?" demanded Jake. 

"The British commander 
was a good one though. You 
see, Putnam went where the 
redcoats dared not follow, 
but their admiration of 
the act was so great the 
commander sent him a suit 
of clothes to pay for the 
hat which was pierced by 
one of their bullets," said 
Marion. 

"That's a story, and 
here's another," cried Ben- 
general israel putnam. nie. " He went to Boston 

when he was a small boy, and was looking about him in surprise 
no doubt, when an ill-bred lad called out : — ' Hello, Country, ain't it about 
time the caows was milked?' Young Putnam was mad, and quicker 
than I can tell it he caught young Boston and gave him a thrashing 
which he did not forget in a hurry. I say hurrah for ' Old Put.' " 

"Was that his nickname? He was next in rank to Washington, 
was born at Salem, Massachusetts, in 1718, had but very little education, 
but a great deal of courage and perseverance. He commanded one body 
of Rogers' Rangers, and once saved Rogers' life. During the Revolution 




168 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

he was always at the front, was taken by the Indians, tied to a tree, but 
escaped without being harmed," added Katie. 

"Who were Rogers' Rangers ? " 

" That was the name of a body of frontiersmen, who were under the 
direct control of Major Robert Rogers, of New Hampshire, during the 
French war. They were to watch the movements of the enemy, follow 
their marauding parties, and cut off their supplies. They were dreaded 
by the French and Indians, for they were such good marksmen they could 
hit a silver dollar at the distance of one hundred yards. Stark, Brewer, Put- 
nam, and others were trained in such a school. The Rangers numbered 
but sixty at first, but were soon increased to nine hundred," replied Jake. 

GENERAL GAGE AND THE BOSTON BOYS. 

"I would like to have been a boy in Boston then, sir!" exclaimed 
Phinney, excitedly. " I wish I had been one of those who went to see 
General Gage ! He was greatly surprised when he saw them and asked 
why so many children had waited upon him, and the tallest boy answered: 
'We have come to demand satisfaction, sir !' ' What, have your fathers 
taught you rebellion, and sent you here to exhibit it? ' asked the surprised 
officer. ' Nobody sent us, sir,' answered the boy with flashing eyes. 
'We have never injured or insulted your troops, yet they have trodden 
down our snow hills, and have broken the ice on our skating grounds. 
We complained, but they called us young rebels, and told us to help our- 
selves if we could. We told the captain of this and he laughed at us. 
Yesterday our works were destroyed for the third time, and we will bear 
it no longer.' 

"General Gage was silent for a moment, gazing at the indignant 
boys with admiration, and they awaited his reply with flashing eyes and 
heads defiantly erect. Then he turned to an officer standing near, and 
said : 'The very children here draw in the love of liberty with the air 
they breathe ! ' then he turned to the waiting boys : ' Go, my brave lads, 
and be assured that if my troops trouble you again they shall be 
punished.' Don't you envy those boys ? I do." 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 169 

" Can you tell me how General Gage succeeded in taking the stores 
which were collected at Concord ? " 

"Why — didn't, we hear all about it when we went there ? " laughed 
Marcella. "He ordered his troops to be ready, and, as he did not want 
them warned, he gave another order that no one should leave Boston, 
but he was a little too late ! William Dawes had gone to carry a mes- 
sage to Hancock, and Warren and Revere were at Charlestown, waiting to 
see what turn events would take. Paul Revere' s friend Newman, sexton 
of the North Church, was to give the signal, 

'* * * * if the British march 

By land or sea from the town to-night, 

Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch 

Of the North Church tower, as a signal light, — 

One if by land, and two if by sea ; 

And I on the opposite shore will be 

Ready to mount and spread the alarm 

Through every Middlesex village and farm, 

For the country folks to be up and arm.' " 

SPRANG ON A HORSE AND DASHED AWAY. 

" So, when the two lanterns gleamed through the night, Paul Reve e 
sprang upon a fleet horse owned by Deacon Larkin, and dashed away 
towards Lexington, arousing the inhabitants as he sped along. The 
bells clashed a warning rally, which the Minute Men obeyed, and, when 
Major Pitcairn came with his redcoats, he found them waiting to receive 
him on Lexington Common," said Charlie. 

" You remember the tablet which was set up at the place where 
Paul Revere started on that ride ! Did you notice that it is of bronze, 
eighteen by thirty-six inches, fixed against the granite wall. You 
remember it, between two granite posts on the city square entrance to 
Charlestown bridge. Did you read the inscription ; I did, and it was : 
'From Charlestown square Paul Revere started on his midnight ride, 
April 18, 1775. Placed by the Bunker Hill Chapter of the Daughters of 



170 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



the American Revolution, June 17, 1901. In grateful remembrance,' " 
said Nettie. 

'There, that isn't in history, and I'll bet the South End School 
will not have it ! " exclaimed Hadley.. 

' You forget that they had the same chance to get it, it was in all 

of the Boston papers," smiled Mamma 
Nelson. 

" Well, before the British had 
marched very far that night they heard 
the bells and the alarm guns, and were 
much surprised, for they had not seen or 
had not understood the signal of the 
North Church tower. Pitcairn pushed 
forward and seized the two bridges at 
Concord. The men on Lexington Com- 
mon hardly understood the move, but 
thought that the soldiers were going to 
arrest Adams and Hancock, who were 
not there. Pitcairn shouted to them to 
lav down their arms, but they were silent 
and motionless. Then he discharged 
his owu pistol, and ordered his men to 
fire. Seven Americans were killed, and 
nine wounded. Parker, the commander 
the minute man. of the Minute Men, saw that it would be 

useless to resist, and ordered his men to disperse. The British cheered 
for their victory, and went on to Concord," Josie went on. 

" And the Minute Men were ready for them there, too, for they had 
found out what it all meant. The British were very ready to play Yankee 
Doodle when they went, but they wanted to play another tune when 
they came back," laughed Ray. 

"Did they play that?" demanded Ruth. 

"Didn't you know that they started the tune in derison of the 




THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 171 

Yankees, and we nave kept it up ever since, only with different words 
sometimes ? " asked Bennie. 

" I will tell you a comical story of that day. A woman named Dame 
Batherick, near Concord, lived alone and was in her field, her gun beside 
her, when the battle was fought. A squad of redcoats came from the 
woods near her, and she, pointing her gun full at them, ordered them to 
halt, which they did. I had better repeat the verses which I found 
about it," cried Katie, then she quoted : 

" ' Ye are my prisoners, sirs ! March on ! ' she said ; 

Then dropped her plants, and pointing out to them the way, 
She drove them quickly on, as she had oft ahead 

Driven the kine across the fields, at set of day ; 
And they, ' King George's own,' without a word obeyed. 

" Over the fields so green she marched her captive band, 

Her dark eyes flashing still, her proud heart beating high 
At thought of England's outrage on her native land ! 
For women were true patriots in the days gone by, 
And scorned the foreign yoke, the proud oppressor's hand. 

" And thus this rustic dame her captives safe did bring 
Unto a neighbor's house ; and, speaking fearless then, 
In words whose every tone with woman's scorn did ring, 
She said unto King George's brave and stalwart men : 

' Go, tell the story of your capture to your king ! 

'" He cannot crush our rights beneath his. royal hand 

With dastards such as you ! And ere this war be done 
We'll teach old England's boasting redcoat band, 

We're not a race of slaves ! From mother, sire to son, 
There's not a coward breathes in all our native land !' 

" Thus Mother Batherick' s fearless deed was done ; 
Long will the tale be told in famed historic page, 
How, in this first great victory by freemen won, 

A dame with furrowed brow and tresses white with age, 
Captured the Grenadiers at famous Lexington." 



172 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



"Good for her! 'there's not a coward breathes in all our native 
land!' " cried Jake. "Isn't that as true now as it was then, Mamma Nelson?" 

" I think it is, my boy," answered Mamma Nelson heartily. " What 
about Concord ?" 

"Concord was thoroughly alarmed before the British reached there, 
but they were not opposed as they marched in and held the town. The 




THE FIGHT AT CONCORD BRIDGE. 

most of the stores had been removed but they began to plunder. At the 
North bridge, where the British were tearing up the planks, two 
Americans were killed and several wounded. About this time the red- 
coats thought it might be safer to return to Boston, the country was 
awakened, and men were pouring in from all sides, eager to try a shot 
at the hated regulars. Stone walls, trees and houses along the line of 
their retreat sheltered enemies, who kept up an irregular, but fatal fire," 
answered Jake, 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



173 



"The British commander hurried his troops through Lexington, 
and just beyond the town he met Lord Percy, advancing to his aid. His 
men, their tongues hanging from their mouths like that of a dog after a 
hard chase, dropped to the ground. But the position could not be held, 
and, after firing Lexington, the retreat was resumed. The Americans 
followed them closely, and they revenged themselves by murdering 
innocent people along the road, and burning their homes. When they 
reached West Cambridge the pur- 
suit was so hot that they broke into 
a run, and crossed Charlestown Neck 
about sunset," added Bessie. 

"The colonists sprang to arms 
with one impulse, pledged to each 
other. The Massachusetts men did 
not wait for the call sent out by the 
committee ; Middlesex Minute Men 
kept close watch on the doings in 
Boston ; New Hampshire men came, 
running rather than walking, to 
Cambridge Common — fifty-five miles 
in less than twenty hours ! The 
Governor of Connecticut called the 
legislature together, the nearest 
towns in Rhode Island were sending 
men before the British began to general john stark. 

retreat ; but the colonial troops were not organized while the British 
were under military discipline. And they were without proper arms, food 
and clothing," Marion concluded. 

"John Stark was on his way to Boston in ten minutes after he heard 
that patriot blood had been shed," exclaimed Charlie. 

" He was the man who said at the battle of Bennington : 'Now, my 
boys, we must beat them, or Molly Stark's a widow to-night.' And the 
Americans won the day. The Virginia Rangers, the Green Mountain 




174 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

Boys, and Rogers' Rangers were always on hand when needed," laughed 
Nettie. 

" He was an old Indian fighter, and did good work for the American 
cause," Hadley continued. " He was once taken prisoner by the St. 
Francis Indians, in company with Amos Eastman. His brother and 
David Stinson were in a boat near by at the time. Stark was ordered to 
decoy them ashore, but shouted for them to go away, knocking up the 
muzzles of the Indians' guns as he did so, so that they could not fire at 
them. He was severely beaten for the kindly act, but was afterwards 
treated well, except that he was made to run the gauntlet as soon as one 
of their villages was reached." 

BELIEVED HIM TO BE A GREAT WARRIOR. 

" Eastman was badly mauled, but Stark knocked an Indian down, 
seized his club, and made that gauntlet too lively for the comfort of the 
redskins. The old Indians were much pleased at the surprise and 
chagrin of the young braves and would not let them harm him. Stark 
next refused to hoe their corn, which made them like him still more, as 
it was considered a sure sign that he was a great warrior." 

" He was not much ahead of Putnam ; he was in the field when the 
messenger dashed by with the news of the battle, and he immediately 
started, without changing his clothes, to muster the militia, but found 
them waiting for him, and himself chosen as their leader," added Josie. 

" In Virginia, Patrick Henry called the men together and was 
chosen to lead them, while Governor Dunmore issued a proclamation 
against a 'certain Patrick Henry and his deluded followers,'" continued 
Ruth. 

" Georgia whirled into line when the news from Lexington reached 
Savannah, although her frontier was then threatened by the Creeks, 
Chickasaws, Cherokees, and Choctaws. They sent sixty-three barrels 
of rice, and a quantity of specie to Boston, and celebrated the king's 
birthday by raising a liberty pole," said Ray. 

" When the news reached Newbern, North Carolina, the Governor 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



175 



had the cannon in town dismounted, sent his wife to New York, and 
went on board a sloop-of-war at Fort Johnston," laughed Bennie. 

" But the joke was on Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold who went 
with the Green Mountain Boys to take Ticonderoga," continued Katie. 
" They landed near the fort with eighty-three soldiers, and sent 
the boats back for Seth Warner and the rear guard. But, if they 
waited for them, they could not surprise the garrison, so they made the 
attack at once. De la Place, the commander, came out half dressed, and 
asked by what right the surrender was demanded. ' In the name of the 



[1775] 




CAPTURE OF TICONDEROGA BY ETHAN ALLEN. 

Great Jehovah and of the Continental Congress!' was Allen's unex- 
pected reply, and well it might be unexpected for the Continental Con- 
gress did not assemble at Philadelphia until several hours after that ! 
That was the joke. But the fort, which cost the British eight millions 
of dollars, and many lives, was surrendered to a few raw recruits with- 
out the loss of a single man." 

"Before the battle of Bunker Hill, Seth Warner, Allen's lieutenant, 
took Crown Point, and Arnold captured St. Johns, two important posts, 
with two hundred cannon and lots of ammunition," declared Bennie. 

"The Continental Congress met at Philadelphia, decided to 'place 



176 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



all the colonies iu a state of defence, and prepare for war while doing 
their best to avert it.' They also prepared another petition asking 
justice of the king. The king refused to notice it, and Washing- 
ton was chosen commander-in-chief of the Continental army, while all 
preparations for war were hastened," added Katie. 



[1775] 




BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL. 

"Then came the battle of Bunker Hill, which was really fought 
on Breed's Hill, which commanded the harbor better," Jake went on. 
" It was a hot June day. The men had worked at the intrenchments all 
night, eating what they happened to have in their knapsacks, and had 
had no water during the day. The British advanced in line, steadily 
firing as they came, but they aimed too high or too low to do much harm. 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 177 

When Prescott told his men to fire nearly all of the front rank of the 
British fell, and the rest halted, so unexpected was the resistance. 

"Then a close fire was opened and returned until the British 
wavered, then retreated in disorder, some even leaping into the boats as 
soon as they conld reach them. Wounds, thirst, hunger, and donbts 
were forgotten by the little band on the hill, as the colonists within the 
enclosure joyously congratulated themselves on the victory of that first 
charge. The British rallied and again the fire of the Americans was 
reserved for close quarters — they had no ammunition to throw away ! — 
and the enemy retreated in greater confusion than before. Go on, 
Bessie, I want a rest." 

A DESPERATE BATTLE. 

"The Americans braced for the third attack, their ammunition 
almost gone, and not fifty bayonets among them. The attack was made 
on three sides at once, and cannon had been placed so as to rake the earth 
breastworks from end to end. The Americans did not number over 
seven hundred, and they had not four rounds of ammunition left. They 
waited until the enemy was within twenty yards, then the command 
was given ' aim low, and wait until you see the whites of their eyes ! ' 
The British wavered at first, but soon reached the breastworks. A 
few were shot down, and Pitcairn was mortally wounded. Prescott 
ordered a retreat, and was among the last to leave the field. They then 
took possession of Prospect Hill, where they camped for the night. 

" The British loss, according to the report of General Gage, was at 

the least one thousand and fifty-four, eighty-three officers being among 

the killed and wounded. The Americans lost one hundred and fifty-five 

killed, and three hundred and four wounded, but among the killed were 

Joseph Warren, Andrew McClary, Thomas Gardner, Major William 

Moore and Moses Parker, all noted for their bravery. The country, 

upon suggestion of Samuel Adams, adopted Warren's children. The 

courage of the Americans, and their skill as marksmen, was remembered 

throughout the war — is still remembered." 
12 



178 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

" You all know General Warren's address," and Marion repeated : 

" ' Stand ! The ground's your own, my braves ! 
Will ye give it up to slaves ? 
Will ye look for greener graves ? 

Hope ye mercy still ? 
What's the mercy despots feel? 
Hear it in yon battle-peal ! 
Read it on yon bristling steel, 
Ask it, ye who will.' " 

" Yes," continued Phinney. " I saw that when General Gage heard 
of Warren's death, he said : ' It is well ; that man was equal to five 
hundred ordinary rebels !' " 

REGARDED WASHINGTON'S ARMY WITH CONTEMPT. 

" It was in July that Washington took command of the army, 
which was a body of desperate men rather than an army, lacking in 
military discipline as well as equipments. No wonder that the well-fed, 
well-clothed soldiers of the king regarded them with contempt," said 
Marcella. 

"They learned to respect and fear them before long," declared 
Charlie. " The women sent in clothes as fast as they could get them 
ready, and the children moulded bullets." 

" Did the Americans have any navy ? '' 

" Rhode Island fitted out two armed vessels, Connecticut two more, 
Georgia and South Carolina sent cruisers to watch for ships expected 
with powder, — indeed all the colonies had vessels out on that errand. A 
Philadelphia sloop seized a magazine in Bermuda, and with a schooner 
from South Carolina, brought away more than a hundred barrels of pow- 
der. A British sloop-of-war, the Falcon, commanded by Linzee, chased 
two Salem schooners, capturing one. Linzee then sent the prize and a 
cutter to attack the town. The Gloucester men took both schooners, cutter 
and barges, with every man in them, Linzee losing over half his crew," 
answered Nettie. 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



179 



" What did the colonies do for money ?" 

"They issued paper money, or promises to pay, and the people 
accepted it," replied Hadley. " Gage was recalled, and the command 
was given to General Howe, while that of Canada was given to Sir Guv 
Carleton, and the English tried to excite the Indians to a general war on 
the patriots. 1 ' 

"What about the invasion of Canada ?" 

" About August the colonial troops invaded Canada with Montgomery 
as commander, and Ethan Allen tried to surprise Montreal as he did 




CONTINENTAL BILLS. 

Ticonderoga, but was taken with some of his men, sent to England in 
chains, and imprisoned in Pendennis Castle," said Josie. 

"But everything was not against them," cried Ray eagerly. "For 
Montreal was taken at last, and at Fort Chamble the Americans captured 
one hundred and sixty-eight prisoners, seventeen cannon, and six tons 
of powder, while eight hundred Indians, Canadians, and regular troops 
were driven back by the Green Mountain Boys." 

"Benedict Arnold had a worse time with the expedition to the lower 
St. Lawrence," added Ruth. "Some of the men were bare-footed, almost 
naked, with no covering at night but boughs, and their provisions gave 



180 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



out so they had to eat the dogs, yet they pushed on — in vain ! Quebec 
was warned and ready to receive them, so Arnold withdrew to Aux 
Trembles to await orders from Montgomery. The General joined him, 
and they again appeared before Quebec with less than twelve hundred 
troops, while the garrison was more than twice that number, with two 
hundred heavy cannon and eight months' provisions. Montgomery was 
killed, and the attack was a failure. The Governor and Council 

of Quebec buried Montgomery, 
with his aide-de-camp, McPher- 
son, with all the honors of war, 
and Congress reared a marble 
monument to his memory." 

" They ought to," declared 

|| Bennie. " Montgomery was a 

| noble man. He came from an 

| illustrious Irish family, and, even 

in England, his death was a 

cause of sorrow." 

[1776] "What have you learned 

about the American flag?" 

"Tell it straight, my friends, 
you do not know what depends on 
your answers," said Charlie mys- 
teriously. 

"I can tell," said Nettie proudly. "The first flag was adopted by 
Congress October 18, 1775, and it was the Pine Tree Flag, white, with a 
pine tree in the center, and the words 'An Appeal to Heaven' above it. 
This was adopted as the flag of the navy, and used as such until the 
birth of the Stars and Stripes. Washington's Stars and Stripes was the 
next flag adopted by Congress, June 14, 1777, and used as the National 
emblem for eighteen years. It had thirteen red and white stripes, and 
thirteen stars on blue ground in the upper left corner." 

"When the Declaration of Independence was made all the flags 




GENERAL RICHARD MONTGOMERY. 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 181 

bearing the Union Jack were destroyed, and several with the red and 
white stripes were carried, some of them having monograms or coats of 
arms," remarked Hadley. 

"When Kentucky and Vermont were added in 1795, Senator Bradley 
of Vermont motioned that the flag have fifteen stripes and fifteen stars, 
and it was used so for twenty-three years, and was the one which inspired 
Key to write the 'Star Spangled Banner,'" added Ray. 

"At last Mr. Wendover suggested that the fifteen stripes were too 
narrow, and that the thirteen stripes were more appropriate; he also sug- 
gested white stars on a blue ground, a star to be added with each State 
admitted to the Union. This was adopted by Congress April 4, 18 18, 
and is our flag to-day," Josie concluded triumphantly. 

A STORY ABOUT OUR FLAG. 

"Very well," smiled Mamma Nelson. "And now perhaps I can 
tell you a story about Old Glory which you have not seen. In 1776 a 
flag was used by the Sons of Liberty in New York. It was inscribed 
with the words 'The King, Pitt, and Liberty.' But the English sol- 
diers objected to Pitt's name and cut the flag down. Then the Sons of 
Liberty bought a piece of land, erected a pole, and raised a red flag 
bearing the single word 'Liberty.' In 1770 they raised another, on a 
pine tree in Harvard groove, Boston, where Washington and Essex 
streets are now, and called the grove Liberty Hall. The tree was cut 
down and the flag destroyed, but another was made and placed on an 
elm tree. It was used as a signal for meetings in Liberty Hall. 

" In 1774 we find the Taunton flag, which was an English one, with 
the word Libert}- upon it. The Minute Men of Bedford had a flag in 
1775, of a deep, rich maroon color, with an outstretched hand grasping 
a sword upon it, and on the point of the sword was a band with the 
words ' Conquer or Die.' This flag is now in the Public Librae at 
Bedford, Massachusetts. It was presented to the town by the descend- 
ants of Captain Nathaniel Page, who commanded the Minute Men 
of that town in 1775. It is the first flag under which a battle for 



182 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



American Independence was fought, and is # the oldest of any kind in 

existence. In 1775 General Hancock gave General Putnam a red flag, 

bearing the mottoes of Massachusetts and Connecticut, for their bravery 

at Bunker Hill. The Cambridge flag of 1775 had thirteen red and 

white stripes, with the Union Jack instead of the stars. 

"The Gadsen flag was accepted by Congress February 8, 1776, and 

hung on the wall. It was yellow, with a rattlesnake in the center, 

coiled and ready to strike, and the words ' Don't tread on me.' Some 

people say that this was the flag Paul Jones carried, and not the Stars 

and Stripes. The Shipmaster's flag of 1776 was like this, except that 

the snake lay across it diagonally. It was used by a sea captain on one 

niiiiTutn i iiiM i Niiiui i tui ii uiiii i ii iiiii i ii i iii u i i i uuiiiHiHMaALLtn iw i i itiHMjjT i ii i ii i u i iJii i iii^ i i.wti i uii i i i i i iu tiiiii ii iii itii iiii i ii i ii iiii ii i iiii M j trip only. Jl Ue x rocter nag nad 

a red ground, with a Union Jack 

in the upper right hand corner, 

and a rattlesnake in the act of 

1 striking it. The white flag of the 

Culpepper Minute Men had a 

J snake in the center, with the 
I 

■ vjjjjJB&jMBmmmamanmammB words ' Liberty or Death ' across 

unite or die flag. the fl a g^ anc [ was use d some time. 

The flag used by the colored company, 'The Bucks of America,' had a 
pine tree and a deer upon it. 

"Colonel Moultrie's flag, which flew from the mast of his vessel, 
was blue, with a single crescent in the left hand corner, and the single 
word 'Liberty,' 1776. The military company at Newburyport carried a 
green flag in 1777, with a white canton in the upper left corner, upon 
which was a pine tree surrounded with thirteen links, and this canton 
came very near being selected for our flag instead of that with the stars. 
Then there was the flag of the Light Horse Guards ; the flag of Wash- 
ington's bodyguard ; a white flag, bearing a naked sword and a liberty 
cap, and the words ' Liberty or Death ' was used at the battle of White 
Plains, New York. The Kutaw flag was made from a red damask 
curtain, and used at the battle of Eutaw Springs, in 1781. Victory 




THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 183 

seemed to follow it in every battle with Tarleton, and it was soon called 
Tarleton's Terror. 

"The Perry flag was of blue cloth, with the white words 'Don't 
give up the ship.' In 1817 a combination flag was presented to the 
committee who wanted to change the national colors. It was white, 
divided into quarters. One quarter had twenty stars, the number of 
States at that time ; a second had thirteen stars, the number of original 
colonies ; the third had an eagle, and the fourth had a Daughter of 
Liberty. But it was not accepted. The Reid flag was very pretty, 
with twenty stars arranged in the form of a large star, but it was not 
thought practical, for the small stars would grow smaller as other States 
were added, and it was used but once. This is the story of the flag of 
our nation. Can any of you tell me by whom the first flag was made, 
and also why so many of them bore the emblem of the rattlesnake ? " 

EMBLEM OF THE RATTLESNAKE. 

"The first flag was made by the women of Philadelphia," Katie 
hesitated. "And I think that the reason of using the rattlesnake was 
that it is an emblem of true courage, and though it never picks a 
quarrel, it will not bear the heel of oppression. It never strikes 
without giving warning, but when it does strike it inflicts a deadly 
wound. Didn't the American rattler shake the rattles well ? And 
when the British heel came down on her liberties wasn't her bite quick 
and sure ? " 

"Where is the material for the flags made?" asked Jake. 

"Before 1866 it was made in foreign countries ; but, February 26, 
1866, Benjamin F. Butler presented Congress with a beautiful flag 
made from the wool of American sheep, with machinery made by native 
born Americans, colored with American colors, and made into a flag by 
American women. Since then no foreign material has been used," 
answered Mamma Nelson. "So much for the story of the flag. Now 
we will go on. Can you tell me why Washington seemed so idle 
during a part of 1777 ? " 



184 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



"At this time lie did not have more than ten thousand dollars for 
the use of his army, and the people — friends as well as foes — wondered 

at his inactivity, but he kept the state 
of affairs a secret as much as possible, 
until he had one hundred barrels of 
powder in reserve," answered Charlie. 
" Parliament had passed laws that 
all Americans were to be treated as 
criminals, and deserving of death ; 
they must not have the treatment 
accorded to prisoners of war when 
captured ; the crews of all trading 
vessels captured would be put into 
royal service ; and then, as they 
could not get men enough in Eng- 
land, they hired the ' Hessians ' of 
their government to fight the colo- 
nists, yet these severe measures were 
not adopted without opposition from 
a few noble men who desired justice 
for America," added Nettie. 

" The siege of Boston resulted in 
the British leaving it in March, 1777, 
leaving behind them two hundred and 
fifty cannon, of which about half were 
fit for service ; 2500 chaldrons of sea- 
coal ; 3000 bushels of oats and barley ; 
2500 bushels of wheat ; 150 horses, 
and a quantity of bedding and clothing 
which was very acceptable to the patriots. As soon as they left 
the city Washington's men marched in, and were received with 
great rejoicings. Then several British store-ships sailed into 
the harbor unsuspectingly, and were captured. One of them was 




AN AMERICAN RIFLEMAN. 



[1777] 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 185 

loaded with all kinds of ammunition and a large quantity of powder, all 
of which were welcome," said Hadley. 

" After leaving Boston the British sailed for Halifax, but soon came 
back to Staten Island, and prepared to attack New York," added Josie. 

" Before they did that something happened which put a new face 
upon the matter of the Revolution. So far the war had been only to 
force England to respect the rights of the colonies, and the mass of the 
people had not thought of, and did not wish for independence. It seemed 
a bold thing to attempt. But the far-seeing were not surprised when a 
declaration was written by Thomas Jefferson, submitted to a committee, 
and adopted with but few changes. 

"The concluding words of it were : 'We, therefore, the representa- 
tives of the United States of America, in general Congress assembled, 
appealing to .the Supreme Judge of all the world for the rectitude of our 
intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of 
these colonies, solemnly publish and declare that these united colonies, 
are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states ; that they are 
absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political 
connection between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to 
be, dissolved ; and that, as free and independent states, they have full 
power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish com- 
merce, and do all other acts and things which independent states may of 
right do. And for the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on 
the direction of a Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other 
our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.' There, young people, 
that was the substance of the Declaration of Independence. Tell me all 
the results from it which you can at our next lesson." 

"Now, Mamma?" asked Charlie, impatiently. Mamma Nelson 
nodded, and Nettie laid a box in her lap. She opened it and revealed 
twenty-eight pretty badges, minature representations of the first flag of 
the United States. "Some for us to send the Concord Club, as well as 
some to wear ourselves," Charlie added excitedly. 







CHAPTER XI. 

OW wliat about the Declaration of Inde- 
pendence?" asked Mamma Nelson. 
" Congress began to consider the 
'resolutions of Independence the first day of 
July, and the discussions continued through 
the second and third days, and were finally 
agreed upon the fourth, but that famous paper 
was not signed until August second. John 
Hancock was the first signer," nodded 
Charlie. 

" The funny part of it is not in the his- 
tories, the story has been told that the day was very hot ; the flies were 
very thick ; the discussion very long ; and the stockings of the voters 
very thin. The combination did not work well, naturally the mem- 
bers became impatient for an adjournment, and the matter was brought 
to a speedy ending," laughed Nettie. 

" A great crowd stood around the building on the last day, for it 
was generally believed that Congress would decide the business, one 
way or another before night. The bell-ringer sat in the tower ready to 
clash the signal, and his grandson waited at the door of the hall to take 
him the news," Hadley went on. 

" I can tell about that better than you can tell it in your own 
words," interrupted Josie. " When the boy ran out not a voice was 
heard, although the crowd trembled as it waited ; 

' Hushed the people's swelling murmur, 

List the boy's exultant cry ; 
" Ring ! " he shouts, " Ring ! grandpa, 

Ring ! oh, ring for Liberty ! " 
186 



END OF THE WAR. 

Quickly, at the given signal, 
The old bellman lifts his hand, 

Forth he sends the good news, making 
Iron music through the land. 



187 




JOHN HANCOCK. 
How they shouted ! What rejoicing ! 

How the old bell shook the air ! 
Till the clang of freedom ruffled 

The calmly gliding Delaware ! 
How the bonfires and the torches 

Lighted up the night's repose, 
And from the flames, like fabled Phcenix, 

Our glorious liberty arose.' ' 



188 



END OF THE WAR. 



" Pho ! I could say the whole of that when I was a little kid," 
answered Ray scornfully. "I want to know what became of the bell. 
How proud it would be if it was alive and knew what it did." 

" It is cracked and silent, but it is still preserved," answered Ruth. 
"The inscription on it was : ' Proclaim liberty throughout the land, to all 

the inhabitants thereof.' " 

" ' The old State House bell is silent, 

Hushed is now its clamorous tongue ; 
But the spirit it awakened 

Still is living — ever young ; 
And when we greet the smiling sunlight 

On the fourth of each July, 
We will ne'er forget the bellman 

Who, 'twixt the earth and sky, 
Rang out loudly "Independence!" 

Which, please God, shall never die !' " 

quoted Bennie, while the rest cheered. 

" Before we go on I want some of 
you to tell me when and where the 
first Fourth of July bonfire was. But there, you never can, for I 
found the story in an old book," cried Katie. "It was on the night of 
the day when the Declaration was agreed to by the Continental Congress 
at Philadelphia. Captain Neil, in command of the patriots at Elizabeth- 
town, picked out two boys and asked them if they thought that they 
could fire the British sloop which was bombarding the breastworks. 
The boys piled a raft high with combustibles, pushed it to the bow of 
the sloop, and struck the flint and tinder over the dry stuff. 

"The first trial was unsuccessful, and one of them swam back to try 
it again. The lad watching from the shore saw a flame creep over the 
bow, along the bowsprit and into the rigging. Before his comrade 
reached the shore there was great confusion on board the ship, and 
her guns were silent. The crew barely had time to quit the doomed 
vessel when a sheet of flame, with clouds of black smoke, was followed 




OLD LIBERTY BELL. 



END OF THE WAR. 



189 




****(i'*$£o 



^Ja 



a m 



S.JiUt 









\sus&r / 








y^m^^<^ 









tfiuyh&id'' 



Mjty Us OA^Aff"*** 





SIGNATURES OF THE SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. 

by aloud report, and it was blown to atoms. It was the eighth day of 
July when the news of a new nation reached Elizabethtowu, and bonfires 
were kindled for a tardy celebration, but the two boys were ahead of 
them all." 



190 



END OF THE WAR. 



"I will tell you another story," Jake added eagerly. " A little girl 
had a red and white calf which she named 'Free'n-Equal' just after the 
excitement of the Declaration of Independence. One day the British 
raiders took the calf, then almost a cow. The girl went to Lord Cornwallis 
about it, and the general was so pleased with her spirit that he gave her 
back the heifer, told her that she was a brave little woman, and presented 
her with a pair of silver shoe buckles, which are proudly kept by her 
descendants." 

" I think that this will beat either," declared Bessie, as she told the 

story. "At one 
time fifty guineas 
were offered for a 
spy. He stopped 
at a house, told the 
woman his story, 
and she hid and 
cared for him until 
he was able to go 
on, although her 
- husband was with 
the searching 
party trying to 

HOUSE IN WHICH DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WAS WRITTEN, PHILADELPHIA, e cLT U til e f i f t y 

guineas. Years after the war had ended that man was seated upon the 
veranda of his home, when a team stopped at a watering trough in front 
of it. The occupants of the carriage were the man who had failed to 
capture him and the woman who had saved him. He made himself known, 
laughingly told the man that his wife captured him when he couldn't, 
and gave her a bag containing fifty guineas, saying : 'That was the 
price set upon my head, and it was worth as much to me as to anyone, 
I think. I have saved that money, hoping that I should some day meet 
you.'" 

"Stories will help you remember facts, but we must not have too 




END OF THE WAR. 



191 



many of them. Can yon tell me how the news of Independence was 
received ?" asked Mamma Nelson. 

"In Maryland all emblems of royalty were burned amid frantic 
cheering and clamorous ringing of bells ; New Jersey published the 
Declaration with a new Constitution of that State ; New York held 
public meetings for the reading of the Declaration of Independence and 
patriotic speeches ; in Rhode Island the excited populace shouted for 
'American manufactures and the diffusion of liberty over and over the 
globe' ; and thus it was throughout the colonies, all standing shoulder 
to shoulder for the final struggle," replied Marion. 

" Lord Howe arrived in New York 
thinking that he had more friends on this 
side of the ocean than he found. He issued 
a proclamation, promising ' free pardons 
and due consideration to all persons who 
should aid him in restoring tranquillity,' " 
added Marcella. 

" And he had the impudence to send a 
copy to Washington ! Think of it ! " ejacu- 
lated Phinney. " He also sent them to all 
governors south of New York. He must have been surprised when 
the only answer to his circular (which was widely published to show 
the people what they might expect) was a copy of the Declaration of 
Independence." 

"In the battle of Long Island, Putnam against Howe, the Ameri- 
cans retreated and left New York to the British. The year of 1776 was 




speaker's chair and desk on which 
declaration was signed. 



[1776] 



one of defeat and disappointment for the devoted colonists, until 



the last of December, when the battle of Trenton was fought 
and won by Washington," said Charlie. 

"Yes, the battle of White Plains ; Fort Washington captured by 
Howe ; Fort Lee captured by Coruwallis ; Washington's retreat through 
New Jersey, and General Lee captured by the British — it was a sad 
record, wasn't it ? " questioned Nettie. 



192 



END OF THE WAR. 



" Add to that the tragic fate of poor Nathan Hale," continued 
Hadle}\ " When Washington wanted to learn the intentions and 
strength of the enemy on Long Island Nathan Hale volunteered to go 
as a spy, knowing what his fate must be if caught, and hating such a 

mission, yet will- 
ing to sacrifice 
himself for his 
country. He had 
all the information 
that he wanted 
when he was ar- 
rested by a baud, 
among whom was 
a Tory relative, 
who recognized 
him. He frankly 
owned his mission, 
and Sir William 
Howe ordered his 
execution, refused 
to let him see a 
clergyman or a 
Bible, and, when 
he wrote to his 
mother, the letter 
was torn up before 
his eyes. 

"The officers 
' it was done that 




LORD CORNWALLIS. 

gave this reason for their inhuman conduct 
the rebels should not know that they had a man in their army who 
could die with so much firmness.' Surrounded with hostile strangers 
he firmly said, when led to the execution, that his only regret was that 
he had but one life to give his country. To the memory of Andre his 



END OF THE WAR. 



193 



country erected a magnificent monument, but I could not find that one 
had ever been erected to the memory of brave Nathan Hale, nor could I 
find where his last resting place is. I think we had better start a ' Patriot 
Club ' and set the ball rolling to get him a splendid monument." 

"Congress ask- 
ed aid of France, 
but that country 
was not prepared 
for a war with 
England, yet the 
commissioners did 
get money for sup- 
plies with the un- 
derstanding that 
it should be repaid 
in the produce of 
the UnitedStates," 
said Josie. 

"The way the 
Americans secur- 
ed the exchange 
of General Lee by 
capturing General 
Prescott, was a 
good strategem. 
They surrounded 
his house, took him 
from his bed, and, the marquis de lafayette. 

without giving him time to dress, hurried him to headquarters. As 
they were equal in rank the two commanders were soon exchanged," 
added Ray. 

" A party of British planned to capture General Schuyler, but he 
was warned by a friendly Tory. When the house was surrounded one 

13 




194 END OF THE WAR. 

night the family all rushed upstairs, forgetting the baby. The daughter 
went for it and was stopped by a soldier who thought that she was a 
servant, and asked where her master was. ' He has gone to alarm the 
town,' she cried in a loud voice, with great presence of mind, and those 
above could hear. The party retreated, and the general was saved." 
"What happened next?" asked Mamma Nelson. 




GENERAL BURGOYNE ADDRESSING THE INDIANS. 

" Lord Howe was surprised and puzzled at the news from Trenton, 
and ordered Lord Cornwallis to New Jersey," replied Bennie. 

" Who was this Lord Cornwallis ? " 

" He was the son of the first earl of Cornwallis, aide-de-camp to the 
Marquis of Granby in the Seven Years' war, and Governor of the Tower 
of London. He was personally opposed to the war with America, yet 
became a British general of the Revolution," answered Katie. 

"Washington sent Mifflin and Cadwallader with their men to meet 
the British at Assunpink stream, and Cornwallis did not cross. Then 



END OF THE WAR. L95 

Washington left his camp fires burning, and made a forced march 
to take Princeton. That winter five major generals were com- 
missioned, and some people say that that was the beginning of Arnold's 
treachery, for he thought that he ought to have had promotion before 




GENERAL BURGOYNE. 

some who got it. Others deny this and say that his wife was a Tory 
woman, whose influence and extravagance made her husband a traitor to 
his country," continued Jake. 

"Then the British general, Tryon, burned Danbury ; Arnold 
followed with the battle of Ridgefield, where he won promotion and a 



196 



END OF THE WAR. 



handsomely equipped horse. New Jersey was recovered ; and Franklin 
went to France and found that nation more kindly disposed. In June, 
Marquis de Marie Jean Paul Koch Yves Gilbert Motier Lafayette 
came to America, became a trusted friend of Washington, took part in 
the Revolution, and in the Assembly of 1789. He visited America again 
in 1824, by invitation of Congress, which also voted to give him a town- 
ship of land and $200,000," said Bessie. 

"Then Colonel Meigs went to Sag Harbor, where he destroyed 

twelve vessels, a large 
quantity of stores, and 
took ninety prisoners, 
without losing a man," 
added Marion. 

" And Burgoyne got 
the Indians to take up 
arms for England," Phin- 
ney continued. "Although 
Edmund Burke declared 
M WM /I W73 - that Indians were not fit 

allies for a nation at war 
with people of its own 
blood, and Fox opposed 
it in the House of Com- 
mons. Burgoyne did tell 
general Nathaniel GREENE. them that there must be 

no slaughter of old men, women, or children ; no taking of scalps from 
the dying ; but every day the savages brought in more scalps than 
prisoners, and were allowed to do so. You all know the story of Jane 
McCrea. She was betrothed to a soldier in the British ranks, but 
was murdered by the allies, and Burgoyne pardoned the murderer, 
rather than lose his Indian fighters by giving him up to justice." 

"July 6, Ticonderoga was evacuated by the Americans. And at the 
battle of Fort Stanwix the Indians lost very heavily, and, after torturing 




END OF THE WAR. 197 

their prisoners, they began to desert and return to their homes, plunder- 
ing the English boats as they left. Then the British did not like them 
quite as well. The way Burgoyne kept his men from deserting was to 
tell them that the Indians had orders to scalp every one who did so !" 
said Marcella. 

" Nathaniel Greene saved the army at Brandywine. He was one of 
the first ones to rebel against England, commanded the Rhode Island 
troops in 1775 and the southern part of the army in 1780. He defeated 
the British at Eutaw Springs, the hardest fought battle of the war, which 
ended the conflict in South Carolina. Congress gave him a medal for 
it, and Georgia and the Carolinas gave him large tracts of land. History 
calls him one of the best generals of the Revolution, second only to 
Washington, whose intimate friend he was," declared Charlie. 

CRISIS OF THE LONG WAR. 

"Well," asserted Nettie, " the Americans scored one October 17, 
when Burgoyne surrendered, for it was the turning point of the whole 
thing. Until then the odds had been decidedly with the British, but, 
from that to the close of the war, the Americans seemed to get their 
share of the victories." 

" That winter the Continental army encamped at Valley Forge, 
and some people wrote to Washington remonstrating against a season 
of inactivity, but he replied : ' I can assure you it is a much easier thing 
to draw remonstrances in a comfortable room, by a good fireside, than 
to occupy a cold, bleak hill, and sleep under frost and snow, without 
clothes and without blankets.' One man even censured Washington so 
much as to say that the army had no general at its head ! " exclaimed 
Hadley. 

" What ! Honest ? What was his name ? Didn't they hang him ? " 
demanded Marcella. 

" No, he was not hung," answered Josie. " His name was Benjamin 
Rush, so history says, but he did not sign it to the letter." 

"There was great suffering at Valley Forge that winter," Ray 



198 END OF THE WAR. 

continued. u Many of the poor fellows were barefooted, and their march 
could be traced by their blood. They were illy clad and fed, and were 
utterly unfit for active duty. No one knew this better than their 
beloved commander-in-chief did, who felt that the future depended on 
the rest which he must give his worn heroes. Some of them had to sit 
by a fire at night, because they had no blankets to cover themselves. 
Under any other circumstances the army would have deserted in a 
body!" 

"You mean the army of any other nation," cried Ruth. "But, 
from Maine to Texas, from Massachusetts to California, the United 
States were, and are the home of a united band of heroes !" 

BRITISH SOLDIERS IN THE "QUAKER CITY." 

u And all this time the British soldiers were ' billeted ' on the inhab- 
itants of Philadelphia, enjoying themselves in a way that shocked the 
dwellers of that staid city," said Bennie. 

" What do you mean by that ? " 

" The English soldiers had a fashion of making the cities or towns 
where the}- happened to be furnish their living, and lived in private 
houses at the owner's expense !" added Katie. u And at this time the 
' Continental Currency ' had depreciated so much that it required five or 
six hundred dollars of it to buy a pair of shoes !" 

"It was in January, 1778, that France acknowledged the Independ- 
ence of the United States, and, in February two bills were presented to 

ri __ rt -. Parliament, one which promised not to levy any more taxes on 
[1778] , , 111 • • • • 

the colonists, and the other appointing commissioners to treat 

with the Americans for peace and the restoration of British authority 

in America," said Jake. 

" Hold on," cried Marion. " A treaty was signed with France in 
February which gave America the aid which was needed so badly. And 
in June, Howe decided that Philadelphia wasn't a healthy place for him 
to live in, so he moved out ! " 

" And Lord Howe was removed, and Sir Henry Clinton put in his 



END OF THE WAR. 199 

place. Then came the battle of Monmouth Court House, which caused 
Clinton to realize that New York was the best place for him ! It was at that 
battle that Molly Pitcher, seeing her husband fall as she was bringing 
him water, dropped her pail, and fought in his place. The soldiers called 




SIR HENRY CLINTON. 



her Major Molly, and Congress voted her a sergeant's commission 
warrant with half pay through life," said Ray. 

" This battle was followed by the terrible massacre of Wyoming 
Valley. The men were nearly all with the army, when the Tories under 



200 END OF THE WAR. 

Butler, with the Indians under Brant, killed and captured all the inhabi- 
tants, and left the fertile valley a ruined waste," added Ruth. 

"Joseph Brant's Indian name was Thayendanega, and he was one 
of the Indian boys sent to the school at Lebanon, — the germ from which 
Dartmouth College grew. Although women turned pale and children 
fled at his name, he always denied that he was guilty of the terrible 
deeds laid at his door by the frontier historians. He saw that the Indians 
were in danger of extermination, and killed all the white men that he 
could, but he never tortured them. He was a Free Mason, and once 
saved a man who gave him the 'sign.' Cornplanter was a chief who 
commanded with him, and both of them were opposed to Red Jacket, 
who was the opposite of Brant. Brant was proud, but truthful and honest ; 
Red Jacket was vain, cruel, and unscrupulous," said Bennie. 

STORY OF THE CHIEF RED JACKET. 

" One good story is told of Red Jacket, though," declared Katie. 
"He once visited a court room, where, perhaps, things were conducted 
as they sometimes are at the present day. As he left, in company with 
a lawyer, he noticed the arms of the state, where Liberty and Justice 
are represented, and demanded what one of the figures signified. 
' Liberty,' answered the lawyer. ' Ugh ! And him ? ' he pointed to the 
other figure. 'Justice,' answered the lawyer again. 'Ugh! Where 
him live now?' inquired the chief with flashing e3^es." 

" Opposed to these Indians was Daniel Boone, the famous trapper 
and frontiersman, so closely connected with the history of Kentucky. 
We will take up but few of the points of the 3-ear 1779, but I 
want you to open your histories and follow them closely. You 
do not know what questions will be asked and you will want to be pre- 
pared on all. Anthony Wayne received the name of ' Mad Anthony ' 
for his daring at Stony Point, and John Paul Jones waged a naval war 
throughout the year. Respect was gaining ground, even in England, 
and the colonists were beginning to be called Americans instead of 
rebels and insurgents," said Mamma Nelson. 




TARLETON'S LIEUTENANT AND THE FARMER. 



201 



202 END OF THE WAR. 

"Sumpter was called the Game Cock and Marion the Swamp Fox," 
cried Jake. " Marion carried on an irregular war, which was quite as 
effective as that of the regular army. When hard pressed, his men 
would divide and subdivide until each one was retreating by himself, so 
they Mere seldom taken and were feared, as no one could tell when and 
where they would appear. Marion could never be surprised, and he 
himself wrote : 'There is not one house burned by my orders, nor by 
my men. It is what I detest, to distress poor women and children.' 
But when Tarleton was after him, he destroyed all the corn and burned 
the houses from Camden to Nelson's Ferry, brutally whipped a woman 
who could not tell him where to find the detested Swamp Fox and ruined 
her home, not leaving her even a change of raiment. Yet when Major 
Weniyss was taken prisoner he was not harmed, although he had a list 
of the houses burned by his order." 

OUTWITTED BY THE OLD FARMER. 

''Here's a story. Jack Davis was one of Marion's men. One day, 
when he ventured into the camp of the enemy, he was caught, escaped 
and was followed for some distance. His pursuers saw an old farmer 
hoeing beside the road, and asked him if he saw anyone go by, offering 
fifty pounds for the desired information if they caught their man. The 
old farmer looked puzzled. 'No, I don't think he's hiding 'round here,' 
he said slowly, with twinkling eyes. 'And I'd like that mone)- powerful 
well, but I don't think you'll get a chance to squander it on me.' The 
soldiers rode off, and the old farmer worked along until he came to the 
edge of the woods, then he took off his clothes, pulled a faded uniform 
from beneath a rock, gave a signal which brought his horse to his side, 
and rode to Marion's camp. It was Jack Davis himself! That's the 
kind of men that Marion had," said Bessie triumphantly. 

u The women were not far behind!" asserted Marion. "Do you 
know the story of Emily Geiger? She lived in Carolina, and she volun- 
teered to carry a message to Sumpter. She was taken and while the 
officer went for a woman to search her, she read and ate the written 



END OF THE WAR. 



203 



message which she carried. She was released, for nothing was found 
upon her, and she rode straight to Sumpter's camp, and gave a verbal 
message instead of written one, and it served its purpose just as well !" 
vl Where were the boys of that time?' 1 demanded Phinney. "I think 
that they were not all dead. A party of Britishers called at a house 
where only the women 
and a boy were left. The 
leader sent the boy to 
drive up their only cow, 
and let him have his 
horse so that he would 
hurry. As the boy passed 
a row of bee hives he 
snatched one up, whirled 
the horse about, and ran 
him straight through the 
band of waiting soldiers. 
The horses kicked and 
plunged, and the men 
fought each other, think- 
ing that thev were the 



cause of the disturb- 
ance. The boy leaped 
from the horse and hid Benedict Arnold. 

in the woods until the soldiers were gone. He declared that he must 
send Washington word to shoot the redcoats with bees instead of bullets !" 
' k The story of Elizabeth Zane proves that the women were as brave 
as the men. She left Fort Henry to go to a house near by for powder, 
because none of the men could be spared, and she was 'only a woman.' 
Whether the Indians were too surprised to shoot her, or whether the}' 
admired her courage, she reached the house without a shot being fired ; 
when she came out with the powder and ran back, the bullets rattled 
around her, but she reached the fort in safety," said Mareella. 




204 



END OF THE WAR. 



"Simon Kenton had to run the gauntlet eight times, and was three 
times tied to a stake to be burned, — but escaped. He was a general in 
the militia, and lived to see a thriving nation where a dense forest had 
been," declared Charlie. 

"We have now reached one of the blackest spots in American his- 
tory," began Mamma Nelson. "I mean the treachery of Benedict 



[1780] 



Arnold. Whatever the causes may have been we know that he 

began by selling infor- 
mation of the army to 
Sir Henry Clinton. He 
was detected and court- 
martialed, but his sen- 
tence was only a repri- 
mand from Washington. 
He obtained orders for 
the command of West 
Point, and basely laid a 
plan to sell all the forts 
to the enemy. Andre 
was sent to conclude the 
bargain but was cap- 
tured and sentenced as 
a spy and Arnold de- 
serted him and fled. 
He fought with the 
British army during the 
balance of the war." 




MAJOR ANDRE. 



"When Andre was taken he asked Major Tallmadge what his fate 
would be. ' I had a much loved classmate at Yale College, named 
Nathan Hale, and he was taken by the British. Do you know the rest 
of the story ?' ' He was hanged as a spy, but surely you do not consider 
his case and mine similiar ?' said Andre uneasily. ' Yes precisely 
similar, and similar will be your fate," said Charlie. 



END OF THE WAR. 



205 



"So Andre was hanged as a spy at Tappan, N. Y., while Arnold 

lived twenty-one years in exile, shunned by the very ones who profitted 

by his treason, and died in poverty, the government of Great Britain 

giving his children a pension," Nettie added. 

> 
"But every effort was made to exchange Andre for him, and the' 

British would not give him up," declared Josie. 

" Was Andre really a spy ?" asked Marion. 




SURRENDER OF LORD CORNWALLIS. 



" All the testimony given to prove that Andre was not a sp}r proved 
that he was one of the worst sort, for Arnold's success would have been 
the downfall of American freedom," ejaculated Hadley. 

"Some of the incidents of the struggle, which was continued with 
increasing success for the American cause, stand out in bold prominence. 
Indians could not be more merciless and cruel than was Tarleton, of the 
British army. One incident will show his character, and be all that we 
will want to read of him. At Waxhaws he caused the death of all who 



206 



END OF THE WAR. 



were not able to escape from kis men, and the name of ' Tarleton's 
quarter' was given to the barbarous murder," said Ray indignantly. 

"Yes, some of the British were very cruel to their prisoners also," 
said Mamma Nelson. " The battle of Camden was a bad one for the 
Americans, and was called one of the worst defeats of the whole war. 




WASHINGTON'S HOME AT MOUNT VERNON. 

In the south the warfare was that of a civil contest, for brother met 
brother on the battlefield, Patriots and Tories fought each other when- 
ever they could, destroying property whenever chance offered." 

" I can tell you about the 'Fighting Parson' of '76," cried Ruth. 
" At Connecticut Farms the British burned the village, and the wife of 
the minister was cruelly shot by one of the troopers. The act aroused 



END OF THE WAR. 207 

the greatest indignation throughout New Jersey, and her husband 
became the ' Fighting Parson.' At one battle, when the wadding gave 
out, Parson Caldwell rushed into a church and brought out an armful 
of Watts' hymn books, shouting : — ' Give'em Watts, boys!' He never 
seemed to rest. Again and again he told the story of the murder of his 
defenceless wife, and every time the soldiers avenged it. The British 
tried to kill or capture him in vain until November, 1781, when he was 
treacherously shot on board the flagship at the Point. The murderer 
was hung, and the evidence showed that he had been bribed by the 
British to do the deed."' 

HEROIC SACRIFICES FOR FREEDOM. 

"Just think what the Continental soldiers endured, that this land 

of ours might be free !" exclaimed Bennie. "Captain Robert Benham 

was shot through his hips, and another man had both arms broken. 

They were where they could not get home. One shot game to live on, 

and the other kicked it to him to dress and cook, and so they lived until 

they were able to travel." 

r on " The surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown was the end of the 

|_I7oIJ 

struggle, and there were only scattering skirmishes until peace 

was declared. The final treaty of peace was signed September 3, 1783," 
said Katie. 

" Can you tell me how much the war cost America? " 
"It has been estimated at $140,000,000," answered Jake. 
"When was the Constitution of the United States ratified?" 
" It was drawn up by the Convention at Philadelphia, and was 
ratified in 1788," replied Bessie. 

" Colonel Nicola, at the suggestion of some others, wrote to Washing- 
ton, with the proposition that a monarchy be established, and offering him 
the crown. But the offer was indignantly refused!" exclaimed Phinney. 
"The close of hostilities was proclaimed April 19, 1783, just eight 
years from the battle of Lexington. There was an exchange of prisoners 
at once, and numbers of Tories emigrated to Nova Scotia, Canada, and 



208 END OF THE WAR. 

the West Indies. Washington delivered his farewell address to his 
soldiers December 2nd, and went to his home at Mount Vernon, which 
he had not visited but once in eight years." 

" And this is the end of the Revolution," sighed Marion. 

"No, the end will never come, and the effects of that glorious 
struggle will last as long as the United States is a nation," said Mamma 
Nelson gently. 

" Which will be forever ! " shouted Charlie, with loyal faith. 






iHfSWJffifrf-i : n--fi--- rifr 





ii 



CHAPTER XII. 

ELL me where the first Congress met and 
where Washington took the oath 
of allegiance," began Mamma 
Nelson. 

"The first Congress met at New York, 
March 4, 1789. April 30, npon the bal- 
cony of Federal Hall, on the spot where 
the United States Treasury now stands, 
Washington took the oath of office and 
became the first President of the United 
States," answered Ray. 
" It was in 1792 that Washington, D. C, was chosen as the seat of 
government," added Charlie. "And 1800 when it was established there." 
"President Washington was re-elected in 1793, but would not serve 
a third term, as he said that two terms of office were enough for any one 
man to have," said Nettie. 

' With the close of the Revolution a new nation was born, and it 
required time, patience and wisdom to prepare it for its place in the 
world," Mamma Nelson went on. " As we have nothing to do with the 
political history of our country, we will take up other, perhaps less, 
important events, and leave that for your home reading. First we have 
the Indian battle at Fort Wayne, Indiana. Washington gave Anthony 
Wayne charge of the expedition against the Indians under command of 
Little Turtle, who really were not to blame for the war, as British 
agents were urging them to reclaim the Ohio and the western country." 
u Little Turtle was for peace. He was much esteemed, and one 
author says that there were very few among the Indians who did so 

14 1'09 



210 



WASHINGTON AND THE FIRST CONGRESS. 



much to do away with the practice of torturing prisoners. He made a 
vocabular}' of the Indian language. Once he was told that it was the 
opinion that the Indians were descended from the Tartars, to which 
Little Turtle at once replied : l Why should not these Tartars, whom 
you say resemble us, have come from America? Are there any reasons 
to the contrary ? Or why should both peoples not have been born 
in their own country ? ' " Josie explained. 

" General Harmer was sent 
against the Indians first, I 
think/' said Kadley ; " but 
he was defeated, as was Gen- 
eral Clair." 

"In 1 791 the United States 
began to add new rooms to 
the House of State, and Ver- 
mont, before called a part of 
New York, was admitted. I 
want you to look up a 
brief history of each 
State to tell me when we 
have finished the general 
outline. A treaty of peace 
was made with the Indians in 
1794 ; in 1797 John Adams 
became president, in 1798 Washington was appointed commander-in- 
chief of the army, and what happened in 1801 ?" 

"Tripoli declared war June 10, just after Thomas Jefferson became 
president. The United States had been paying the Barbary States 
tribute so that the pirates would let our ships alone, but American 
vessels were plundered just the same. The frigate Phila- 
delphia was captured, her officers held for heavy ransom, and her crew 
sold as slaves. Lieutenant Decatur, with seventy-four volunteers, put 
out from Syracuse in the Intrepid, entered the harbor of Tripoli, and 




[1791] 



GEORGE WASHINGTON. 



[1801] 




THE INAUGURATION OF WASHINGTON. 



'211 



212 WASHINGTON AND THE FIRST CONGRESS. 

drifted alongside of the Philadelphia, like a vessel in distress. Then, 
before they knew what was coming, his crew rushed on board of the 
captured vessel, and drove her captors into the sea. They then set her 
on fire, and escaped without the loss of a man," said Josie. 

"In September the Intrepid, loaded with one hundred barrels 
of powder, was towed into the harbor by two brave boat crews, 
who intended making their escape after firing her and leaving her to 
drift among the fleet of the enemy. It is supposed that the vessel was 
discovered too soon, and that she was hit in her powder cargo by a chance 
shot from the shore batteries. She was blown up and the brave men 
were never seen again. A monument was erected to their memory in 
front of the Capitol at Washington," added Ray. 

NAVAL BATTLE WON BY AMERICANS. 

" Next a naval battle was fought and ended in American victory. 
Admiral Porter gave the Tripolitan commander his freedom, telling him 
to ' Go, and tell your people that in future they may expect only a tribute 
of shot and shell from sailors of the United States,' " continued Ruth. 

"And the barbarians were scared !" ejaculated Jennie. "They 
declared that the 'dogs of Christians' fired enchanted shot at them, 
and that was why they did not beat them ! More vessels were sent, 
more battles were fought, and in 1805 Tripoli sued for peace, and the 
United States paid $60,000 as ransom for the American prisoners." 

"In 1801 the Military Academy was established at West Point." 

"Something happened in 1807. I will tell you," said Jake. "Robert 

Fulton launched a steam vessel on the Hudson river, and it was a success, 

much to the surprise of the astonished spectators. After that 

steam vessels were generally used on the rivers of the United 

States, and in 1814 he launched a steam frigate." 

"James Madison became president in 1809, and in 181 1 the Indians of 

the northwest again took up the hatchet, it was thought at the instigation 

r-. MAA -. of British agents. They were under the direct lead of the great 
[1809] m . . . 

Tecumseh, and his brother Klskwatawa, the prophet," Bessie said. 



WASHINGTON AND THE FIRST CONGRESS. 



213 



" Marion, what can you tell me of this great Indian leader ?" 
"Tecuruseh, or 'Shooting Star,' held the commission of brigadier 
general in the British army at the time of his death, and was killed at 
p. g . J-, the battle of the Thames. He possessed Indian courage and forti- 
tude, vivid imagination, practical wisdom, and rare energy, with 
an instinctive knowledge of human nature. He tried to unite the tribes 





FULTON'S FIRST STEAMBOAT. 

in one vast confederacy with himself as leader. If he had had a wider 
field he would have been one of the greatest leaders in the world's history. 
His people, the Shawnees, were more adventurous and warlike than other 
Indians. They belonged to the Six Nations, and considered God, the 
spirits, and man as superior beings, while women and animals were lower! " 
answered Marion, indignantly. 

"Can you tell me more about the great warrior, Phinney?" 



•214 WASHINGTON AND THE FIRST CONGRESS. 

"Some people say that he and his brother were twins, and others 
deny it, and declare that the prophet was the younger. I don't know 
how to tell the truth when histories do not agree ! He had six brothers 



JAMES MADISON. 

and sisters, and his father was killed at the battle of Kanawha. Tecuni- 
apease is the only sister mentioned, because of Tecumseh's love for her, 
and because, when his wife died, he sent his only child, a son, to live 
with her. His oldest brother, Cheesekau, taught him love for truth, 



WASHINGTON AND THE FIRST CONGRESS. 



215 



contempt for everything mean, and to be a great and good warrior. He 
was under fire for the first time when he was about sixteen years old 
and it is said that he was so frightened that he hid. 

a In his second fight a flat-boat was captured, and all the men killed 
but one who was kept for torture. Tecumseh witnessed the scene in 
silence, then made such an eloquent plea against torture that those with 




a pioneer hercs fight with the savages. 

him vowed never to burn another prisoner. His renown was begun, and 
when he was about twenty his brother was killed and he took command 
of his section. Tell the rest, Marcella," and Phinney paused abruptly. 
''Tecumseh had many consultations with General Harrison, with a 
view to making peace, and one letter to him ran : — 'General Harrison, I 
have with me eight hundred braves, and you have an equal number in 
your hiding place. Come out with them and give me battle. You talked 
like a brave man when we met, and I respected you, now you hide behind 



216 WASHINGTON AND THE FIRST CONGRESS. 

logs and in the earth like aground hog. Give me answer,'" Marcella 
continued. 

"I guess he got his answer at the battle of Tippecanoe," laughed 
Charlie. 

"Oh, Tecumseh wasn't so bad after all," said Nettie. "At one place 
General Procter, the British commander, made no effort to keep the 
Indians from torturing the prisoners. All at once Tecumseh came dash- 
ing up, his horse on the dead run, leaped before the prisoners, drew his 
tomahawk, and dared the Indians to touch another prisoner. Then he 
demanded of Procter why he had permitted such things. The general 
gave the excuse that he could not control them, and the chief thundered, 
scorn in his angry face, ' Begone ! You are not fit to command, go home 
and put on petticoats !'" 

GAVE HIS SWORD TO A CHIEF FOR HIS SON. 

"His son escaped, and I could find nothing more about him," said 
Hadley. "When about to go iuto the battle of the Thames he took off 
his sword and gave it to a chief for his son, saying, 'I shall not come 
out alive,' and his premonition was a true one. 

' He fought in defense of his kindred and king, 

With a spirit most loving and loyal; 
And long shall the Indian warrior sing 
The deeds of Tecumseh, the royal.'" 

"What about the Prophet?" 

" He was a better speaker than Tecumseh, with a more graceful 
manner, but he possessed none of Tecumseh's noble qualities. He was 
neither truthful nor brave, and he was very cruel. In some way he 
learned of the expected eclipse of the sun in 1806, and used the knowledge 
to make an impression on his people. He told them that he would cause 
a great darkness to come, and had his triumph when the black circle 
slowly crept over the sun's brightness. He had but one eye, and his 
name was Elkswatawa, or the Loud Voice," continued Josie. 

"He did some good," declared Ray. "He announced that he had 



WASHINGTON AND THE FIRST CONGRESS. 217 

been up iu the clouds, that the first place which he reached was the home 
of the devil, and that all drunkards had to go there and endure ever- 
lasting thirst, with flames always coming from their mouths. Many of 
his people believed him, were frightened, and would drink no more ' fire- 
water.' He caused several Delaware chiefs to be executed for witchcraft." 

"All the Indians were not against the whites, for Black Hoof, a 
Shawnee chief, was on the American side, and prevented many of his 
tribe from joining the English," declared Ruth. 

"Can you name any more chiefs who were with Tecumseh ? " 

ASSASSINATION OF BLUE JACKET. 

" Black Hawk, who afterwards led the Black Hawk war, and Blue 
Jacket, who was leader of a large band of warriors. At one time he laid 
a plan to assassinate General Harrison, but Beaver, a Delaware, to whom 
Harrison had been like a father, after his own father was killed, assass- 
inated Blue Jacket before the scheme could be carried out. At the battle 
of Tippecanoe Harrison's men rested on their arms, and just before day- 
break the Indians came with a yell. The attack was so sudden and 
furious that many of them reached the centre of the camp before 
they were killed. The Americans beat, as usual, Harrison burned their 
town, and put a check to the outrages," answered Bennie. 

"Another war with Great Britian was begun in 1812. England 
had never quite given up the idea that the colonies were hers by right, 
and she would finally own them. They had secretly incited the Indians 
to war upon them, and supplied them with provisions and ammu- 
nition. Then English vessels took all American ships loaded 
with French produce, or carrying supplies to French colonies," 
Katie began. 

" That wasn't the worst thing that they did," ejaculated Jake. "British 
vessels kidnapped Americans, 'pressing' them into the royal service. 
If they refused to serve they were whipped with cat-o'-nine-tails until 
the blood ran. One man cut off his own right hand rather than fight 
for England." 



218 



WASHINGTON AND THE FIRST CONGRESS. 



" At last the United States could bear it no longer and war was 
declared June 19, 181 2. General Hull was the American commander, 
and the first year was a dark one for America, some croakers even saying 
that England would recover her ' rights,' " added Bessie. 

" The next year began with naval activity. The American frigate Con- 
stitution ran a race with the British squadron from Halifax, and 



[1813] 



escaped; the American frigate Essex captured a transport filled with 




THE "WASP" BOARDING THE "FROLIC." 

English soldiers, and a British sloop-of-war; the American Constitution 
and the English Guerriere had skirmishes which resulted in a naval 
battle, and the English ship struck her colors in thirty minutes; the 
American Wasp met the British Frolic in a terrible conflict, but before 
she could take her prize another British vessel appeared on the scene, 
and took them both; Hull. Decatur, Bainbridge and others captured as 
many as a hundred British vessels, took over three thousand prisoners, 
and cargoes of great value," said Marion. 

"It was in 1813 that the Creek war was in the south," said Phinney. 



WASHINGTON AND THE FIRST CONGRESS. 219 

" Jackson was against the Indians. William Weatberford was a half- 
breed chief, the son of a white father. He was humane and honorable, 
tried to save women and children in every way that he could, and was 
against torture." 

" When Jackson ended the Creek war, the Indians concentrated 
their warriors, were beaten and surrounded, but would not ask quarter. 
Jackson told them that Weatberford must be given up before he would 
make any terms with them. The chief immediately mounted his horse, 
the same with which he made the daring leap at Holy Ground, and rode 
straight into Jackson's camp." 

" YOU CAN KILL ME IF YOU DESIRE." 

"Jackson was surprised," laughed Marcella, "and he was more so 
when Weatherford said cooly : 'General Jackson, I am not afraid of 
you. You can kill me if you desire. I come to beg you to help the 
women and children now starving. Send for them, they never did you 
any harm, but kill me if the white people want it done.' " 

" And did he ? " demanded Bennie. 

"No," answered Charlie. " The soldiers shouted for his death but 
Jackson said that any one who would kill so brave a man would rob the 
dead. Then he told the daring chief that if he wished to continue the 
war he should go away unharmed, and if he wanted peace he should be 
protected. Weatherford owned a fine farm in Alabama, where he died 
in 1826." 

"I will tell you a story about that time," cried Nettie. "Weather- 
ford stormed Fort Minims, the strongest fort in the southwest and that 
frightened the smaller ones. Sinquefield was one of these, and the men, 
women and children were outside of the stockade when the attack was 
made. The men rushed into the fort to save it from falling into the 
hands of the Indians, who swept between the gates and the women and 
children, who had been for the time forgotten." 

" With a yell of triumph the red men turned to murder them, but. 
at that moment, Isaac Hayden appeared with his famous pack of huntino 




PERRY'S VICTORY ON LAKE ERIE. 



2i!0 



WASHINGTON AND THE FIRST CONGRESS. 221 

hounds, sixty iu number. He saw the situation, spurred his horse forward, 
called to his hounds, and charged the Indians, who knew how to fight 
men but not such savage dogs, and the women and children got into the 
fort. Hayden's horse was shot but he managed to reach the fort also, 
with the remnant of his noble dogs." 

" I will tell you another," nodded Hadley. " It's about the smallest 
naval battle in the world. Samuel Dale and others went out from Fort 
Madison to gather some of the ripened corn, and were attacked by 
Indians when part of his men were on one side, and part on the other 
side of a stream. 

THE RED MEN WERE SLAUGHTERED. 

u He was alone with about a dozen men, and the others could not 
help, as only one canoe was on that side. Suddenly a large canoe, con- 
taining a dozen painted savages, swept around the bend — something 
must be done ! Dale and two other men leaped into the little canoe 
which was managed by a negro, and the miniature naval combat 
began." 

"I read that," interrupted Ray. "The odds were against them, 
but one by one the savages were killed, until only one, Tarchachee, 
who had trapped and hunted with Dale, remained. He cried out : ' Big 
Sam, I am one man and you are another — now for it.' Dale wanted to 
spare him, but soon saw that it was war to the death, and the Indian 
was soon dead. Then they cleared the large canoe, rowed to the bank, 
and rescued the party. After the war was over, Weatherford, whose 
Indian name was Red Eagle, and who commanded the Indians at that 
time, wanted Dale to be his ' best man ' when he was married, and he 
was." 

" The Americans decided that nothing could be done as long as the 
British held Lake Erie, so Oliver Hazard Perry, who had been at 
Tripoli, volunteered to clear the lake. His flag was bine, with the 
white letters ' Don't give up the ship.' His own account of the battle is 
very modest, it ran : ' Dear General — We have met the enemy and they 



222 WASHINGTON AND THE FIRST CONGRESS. 

are ours. Two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop,' " said 
Josie. 

" Perry gave up his own cabin to Commodore Barclay, the wounded 
British commander, and did everything for him that could be done. 
Perry was at Baltimore to help defend that city, was sent against the 
pirates in 1819, and died of yellow fever as he was entering a port on 
Trinidad Island," Ruth concluded. 

" The hardest battle of the year 1814 was that of Lundy's Lane, July 
25, Scott against Riall. Riall was wounded and taken by the Ameri- 
ri8l41 cans > ^ n f act ' nearl y all of the field officers were disabled, and 
General Scott was also wounded. The Americans were jubi- 
lant, for the victory had been won over veteran troops, who had served 
with Wellington against Napoleon," said Bennie triumphantly. 

WASHINGTON CAPTURED BY THE BRITISH. 

" But the victory was not all with the Americans," declared Katie. 
"The city of Washington was captured by the British August 24th. 
There were about eight thousand inhabitants in the capital of the 
United States at that time, and nine hundred houses. The capitol and 
the president's house were made of freestone, and were the best in the 
United States. Only one wing of the capitol had been erected. The 
city was evacuated in order to gather the entire force on the heights 
behind Georgetown. 

"All of the public buildings, including the capitol, president's 
house, and those built for the government officers, also the great hotel 
on Capitol Hill, and the bridge across the Potomac, were destroyed. The 
navy yard was set on fire as the enemy approached. But Washington 
could not be held for any length of time and the British soon retreated. 
This wanton destruction of public property was condemned in Europe 
and aroused the Americans to greater efforts." 

"Doll}'- Madison saved the great portrait of Washington by cutting 
it from the frame and taking it with her. She also saved the Declaration 
of Independence," cried Jake. 



WASHINGTON AND THE FIRST CONGRESS. 223 

" But to offset this disaster, the Americans had the battle of Lake 
Champlain and the battle of Plattsburg," suggested Bessie. 

" Next came the bombardment of Fort McHenry, where the ' Star 
Spangled Banner' was written. Did you know that it had been trans- 
lated into Spanisli ? Well, it has, and it is soon to be issued in sheet 
form, then we will all learn it," added Marion. 

" The coast war was waged from Maine to Florida, then through the 
Gulf to New Orleans, which the British were very anxious to take so as 
to control the Mississippi. They thought that they could go into a bay 
behind the town and do this easily. When they reached the bay thev 
saw a fleet of six little gunboats there before them. They were under 
command of Thomas A. C. Jones. The marines on the British men-of- 
war laughed, and when the saucy little fleet came boldl}- up, almost 
within gunshot, they gave chase scornfully. 

BIG VESSELS RAN AGROUND. 

" That was just what Jones wanted, and, whirling about, the six 
little gunboats darted away, the big men-of-war in savage pursuit. Then 
one and then another of the big vessels ran aground until the whole 
British fleet was stuck in the mud. They could not land the men in the 
small boats, for they knew very well that the six little gunboats, hovering 
about just out of range, would not allow it. Finally the British com- 
mander manned fifty boats and sent them to take the gunboats which 
they did by greater numbers, and then they landed," said Phinney. 

" But New Orleans wasn't taken, and Jackson was there. He knew 
what he was about and sent a gunboat down the river with orders to 
attract the attention of the English, then, when it was quite dark, and 
the British had made their camp fires, there was a flash and a roar as 
the gunboat began her work. While the surprised and angry British 
were getting ready to fight her, Jackson with his mixed army was upon 
them. It was so dark none of them could see what was going on," 
exclaimed Marcella. 

" Didn't they shoot friends then ?" asked Phinney. 



224 



WASHINGTON AND THE FIRST CONGRESS. 



" Oh, sometimes friendly lines rushed into battle, so at last they 
called to each other before they began to fight. The British retreated 
and Jackson went back to New Orleans to await their attack, which was 




JAMES MONROE. 

made January 8, 1815, and the English got the worst of it, so New 
Orleans was not taken," answered Charlie. 

" It was fought fourteen days after the treaty of peace anyway," 
Nettie declared. 

"There was trouble with the Seminoles just after Monroe became 
president. Edward Nichols and James Woodbine, former British 



WASHINGTON AND THE FIRST CONGRESS. 225 

r officers, had enlisted a lot of Seminoles during- the war with 

England and returned to them after the war was over. They 
made a pretended treaty with them, saying that England would fight the 
United States again whenever the Seminoles would begin war. Of course 
England did not ratify the treaty. 

"Nichols built a fort on the Apalachicola, armed it with cannon, 
ammunition, and small arms. A desperado, named Garson, seized the 
fort and organized a band of robbers and outlaws, consisting of runaway 
negroes, Choctaws, and lawless men, and began to kill and plunder, even 
crossing into the United States. General Jackson asked the Spanish 
governor of Florida to stop this, but he wouldn't, and General Cinch was 
sent against them with a land force, the Seminoles, who wanted their 
fort back again, accompayning them. 

ALL KILLED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TWO. 

"A small boat from the fleet went on shore for water, one man 
escaped by swimming, but the rest were killed at once, with the exception 
of two, who were covered with tar and set on fire. When Cinch found that 
he could take the fort no other way he heated a cannon ball red hot, and 
fired it into the enclosure. In a very short time the solid earth shook, 
there was a deafening roar, and a vast cloud shot up and hung over the 
shattered fort. 

" The hot shot fell into the magazine, and all but three men were killed 
or died of their wounds. Garson escaped, and fell into the hands of the 
sailors whose comrades he had tarred and burned, and they gave him up 
to the Seminoles, whose fort he had stolen," said Hadley. 

"Why, I found a different account from that," exclaimed Josie. 
"It said that Nichols and Woodbine made a fort on the Apalachicola 
river, and it became the rendezvous of runaway negroes, and discontented 
Indians. Chief Mcintosh, with his band of Indians, and a few regulars 
under Cinch, were sent against them. A fortunate shot, from the 
gunboats sent up the river, entered the magazine and blew up the fort. 
Two hundred and seventy were killed, but the two British officers escaped." 

15 



226 



WASHINGTON AND THE FIRST CONGRESS. 



c< Perhaps both are right, and we can believe which we please," 
laughed Ray. "East Florida was the home of the Semmoles — wild 
Indians — and the Creeks who were expelled from their lands in 1813 
were their allies. The latter went by the name of ' Red Sticks,' on 
account of a high, blood-red pole erected in their chief village. This 
pole was always raised when the band intended to make war, and an 
awful flag hung at the top— made of scalps taken on the warpath. 

"These forces were increased 
by runaway negroes from Georgia, 
and it has been said they were en- 
couraged by the Spanish authorities 
of Florida, to plunder the border 
settlements. Soon after General 
Jackson took command Fort Baran- 
cas and St. Augustine were captured, 
and the first Seminole war was 
ended." 

"John Ouincy Adams was Presi- 
dent in 1825, and Andrew Jackson in 
1829. What happened in 1830?" 

" Peter Cooper built, from de- 
signs of his own, the first locomo- 
tive in America, and it was on the 
[1830] Baltimore & Ohio Rairoad," answered Phinney. 

" The Black Hawk war was begun, but General Atkinson drove 
them beyond the Mississippi, taking Black Hawk prisoner. He was 
treated kindly, taken to the principal cities that he might see the 
strength of the white man, and was greatly surprised at a balloon 
ascension. ' Ugh, air-ship going to see the Great Spirit ? The brave 
(the aeronaut), must be a Sac' When he died he was buried on a hill 
in sitting posture, in full war dress. It is said that his brother Wabo- 
keshiek was a prophet, had less intellect than he, but great decision and 
firmness, and the tribe believed in him," Marcella continued. 




JOHN OUI..CV ADAMS. 



[1832] 



WASHINGTON AND THE FIRST CONGRESS. 227 

"How was the body of a great chief usually buried ?'! 

"It was dressed in full war costume," answered Jennie, "and 
painted as if the man was about to start on the warpath ; brilliant rib- 
bons ; glittering belts in which were tomahawk, and scalping knife, ear- 
rings and nose jewels adorned him ; a lance was in his hand ; a pipe 
between his lips ; and a filled bowl by his side as he sat upright on the 
grass. 

" There were orations telling of his bravery and virtues, then his 
death song was chanted, accompanied by the low music of a softly beaten 
drum and the tinkling of little bells. Then the body was placed in the 
grave, in a sitting posture, with plenty of food beside it, covered, and the 
spirit dismissed to the happy hunting grounds beyond the setting sun. 
Sometimes his favorite dog and horse were killed on the mound, and far- 
ther back, perhaps, his wife shared a like fate." 

Charlie darted out to return with a plate of nice home-made candy. 

" To sweeten up the Indian wars," he laughed ; and, by the way it 
disappeared, the memory of those wars must be sweet indeed ! 




CHAPTER XIII. 

HE real Seminole war in Florida began 

under As-se-se-ha-ho-lar, or Osceola, who 

was the son of a white trader and 

a Creek mother and lived near Fort 

King, Florida. He was slender in figure, manly 

in bearing, and resolute in character. He hated 

the whites fiercely, and, if tradition be true, he had 

cause for so doing." 

" How was that?" asked Mamma Nelson, as 
Charlie hesitated. 
" His wife was taken because her mother was a slave, and she was 
doomed to the same fate, while he was put in irons for attempting to 
help her. He was a brave and cautious leader, and possessed many 
noble traits. He died in prison of fever, some say of a broken heart, 
and a monument has been erected to his memory." 
" ' I've scared you in the city, 

I've scalped you on the plain ; 
Go, count your chosen where they fell 

Beneath my leaden rain ! 
I scorn your proffered treaty, 

The pale-face I defy ! 
Revenge is stamped upon my spear, 
And ' Blood's" my battle cry.' 

I can imagine Osceola saying that," cried Nettie, as she quoted a verse 
of the "Seminole's Reply." 

" What caused this uprising? " 

"Jackson was sent to force the Indians to move to a new territory, 
they were to be paid for that which they occupied, given free transporta- 

228 



SEMINOLE AND MEXICAN WARS. 



229 



tion, and provisions for a year, but the Indians did not want to change 
their home. Osceola was then chief, and a long, fierce war began. It 




OSCEOLA, CHIEF OF THE SEMINOLES. 

was almost impossible to hunt the Indians from the swamps and the 
dense forests, bnt it was finally done and a very decisive battle was 



230 



SEMINOLE AND MEXICAN WARS. 



[1838] 



fought at Lake Okeechobee. A treaty was made in 1839," answered 
Hadley. 

" During the winter of 1834-35, the weather was so cold that the 
Chesapeake bay was frozen over, it was eight degrees below zero at 
Charleston, and the mercury froze at Lebanon. It was the coldest winter 
ever known in America," said Josie. 

"And in this terrible weather there was a $17,000,000 fire in New 

York, and the greater part of 
the business portion was de- 
stroyed," added Ray. 

"In 1838 Canada tried to 
gain her independence as the 
United States did, but failed. 
Parties from the States 
were very eager to help, 
but the President and State 
officers maintained the law of 
neutrality," exclaimed Ruth. 

" What did they do that for ?" 
demanded Bennie. "Why 
didn't they help Canada?" 
professor morse. "There are national laws 

which we cannot stop to discuss now, which sometimes do not look 
just right to us, yet must be obeyed," smiled Mamma Nelson. "The 
affair looked at one time as though it would lead to another war with 
Great Britain. There was trouble between Maine and New Brunswick 
about the boundary line in 1840, and block houses were built along 
the frontier, and the one at Fort Kent, Maine, is still standing and in 
good repair." 

" It is owned by the Maine Historical Society. Both sides prepared 
for war, but General Scott succeeded in making a settlement, and it 
passes into history as the 'Bloodless war of Aroostook.'" 

"I think that Morse's telegraph comes next," said Katie. "Samuel F. 




[1844] 



SEMINOLE AND MEXICAN WARS. 231 

B. Morse of Massachusetts invented the electric telegraph and 



asked Congress for a small appropriation to try it. He waited five 
years for an answer, then they gave #30,000 to make a trial line from Wash- 
ington to Baltimore, forty miles, and the first line in the world. May 
29, 1844, a message was sent from Baltimore to Washington, the first 
telegraphic message ever sent/ 1 

"Well, I think something interesting happened in 1842, when 
Bunker Hill Monument was 
completed," nodded Jake de- 
cidedly. "The corner stone 
was laid by Lafayette June 1 7, 
1825, and forty men who were 
in that fight were there. The 
monument cost over $150,000." 
"In 1845 Po^ wa s President, 
the Naval Academy was open- 
ed at Annapolis, Md., 
and gun cotton was in- 
vented," said Bessie. 

"In 1846, the Smithsonian 
Institute at Washington was 

rift/lRI or g an i ze( l f° r the in- 
crease and diffusion of 
knowledge among m e 11 ; 
$515,000 was given to start it by James Smithson" said Marion. 

" And the Mexican war was begun," declared Phinney. "Texas, 
with the adjoining province of Coahuila, had formed a state of Mexico, 
but wanted to be separated, so she had a fuss with the Mexican govern- 
ment. In 1836 Samuel Houston defeated Santa Anna at San Jacinto, 
captured him and made him sign a treaty, but the Mexican government 
said that it was forced and would not ratify it. 

"Then Texas declared herself a free and independent republic, 
although Mexico still claimed her. She became one of the United States 



[1845] 




232 



SEMINOLE AND MEXICAN WARS. 



in 1845, 011 her own petition, and it was necessary to send United States 
troops to defend her. Mexico resented this, and it led to a war with that 

country." 

" That was one of the causes of the war. You know there never 
was a fight, whether of nations or persons, where there was not two sides 
to the question. General Taylor erected batteries on the Rio Grande, 




LIEUTENANT GRANT GOING FOR AMMUNITION AT MONTEREY. 

opposite the Mexican town of Matamoras. The Mexicans crossed the 
boundary line and attacked them, which was the first battle, and war was 
declared," said Mamma Nelson. 

"The Mexicans suffered defeat after defeat and at last came the 
battle of Monterey, where General Grant, then an unknown lieutenant, 
distinguished himself by his daring ride, under fire, to get needed 
ammunition. Monterey was strongly fortified in the old Spanish style, 
surmounted by massive stone walls, but was taken by the Americans in 
September, 1 846," added Marcella. 



SEMINOLE AND MEXICAN WARS. 233 

" At the battle of Buena Vista the Mexican force was much superior, 

r-.»j-.-. but when Taylor was thought beaten and told to surrender, he 
[1847] . 

refused, that is why they said that ' Old Rough and Ready ' 

was whipped and didn't know it. He finally saved the day with a loss of 
seven hundred and fifty, including a son of Clay. Jefferson Davis did 
good work with his Mississippi riflemen," said Charlie. 

HARD-FOUGHT BATTLES IN MEXICO. 

"General Scott was an older officer than Taylor and so took the 
command. Then followed the battles of Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo, Jalapa, 
and the City of Mexico. The victories were a surprise and terror to the 
Mexicans. And while the central army was gaining victories another 
body was doing equally as well in the north, and a third in the G.ilf 
border. 

"The army of the west, under General Kearney, went through New- 
Mexico and marched for California where General Fremont was doino- 
gallant work. Several attempts were made to recover these two states, 
but without success," added Nettie. 

riftdftl " Peace was P ro P°sed January, i848,soon agreed upon and ratified. 
David Crockett, one of the most remarkable American frontiers- 
men, was killed at the battle of Alamo, at San Antonio," continued 
Hadley. 

"I think that Fremont and Kit Carson belonged to that class, too," 
nodded Josie. 

" What of General Scott ? " 

" He was of Scottish origin, born in Virginia, and educated at 
William and Mary College. He fought in the war of 1S12, was taken 
prisoner by the British, and had two horses killed under him at Lundy's 
Lane, where he was wounded twice. He was an Indian peacemaker 
rather than an Indian fighter. He was commanding general in the 
Mexican war; candidate for President against Franklin Pierce, who was 
elected, and retired from active service in 1861, on account of his age," 
answered Ray. 



234 SEMINOLE AND MEXICAN WARS. 

"While we are talking about Texas," said Ruth, "I want to tell 
you about the old fort at Nacogdoches. Texas is trying to buy and 
preserve it. It is built of red stone blocks, some of them very large, and 
no one can tell where the stone came from for there is none like it in 
that vicinity." 

"It was built by the Spaniards in 1778, and until 1820, was under 
that flag. Then, until 1836, it belonged to Mexico; until 1845, to the 
Republic of Texas; until 1861, to the United States; until 1865, to the 
Confederate States, and then to the United States again. It has sheltered 
such men as Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, Steven Austin, 
and others." 
[1848] " What happened in 1848 ? " 

HISTORY OF THE OLD FORT. 

" Gold was discovered in California. It was discovered by a man 
named James W. Marshall, in the employ of a Swede named John A. 
Sutter. Sutter owned a large ranch, a flour mill, a grist mill, and a 
tannery. Marshall was the mechanic who built the saw-mill. February 
2, 1848, when he shut the water off, he saw shining particles in the 
race way. He gathered about an ounce of the valuable dust, mounted 
his horse, and galloped away to report the discovery to Sutter, forty 
miles from there. 

"Sutter tried to keep it secret, fearing just what happened when the 
rush for gold began, — his mills were stopped, men staked out claims over 
his land without leave or license, killed and ate his cattle and sheep, stole 
his wheat, corn, and potatoes, and swept on to newer fields, leaving his 
property in ruins, and he died in poverty. Marshall did not profit by the 
discovery either, as he lost what little he gained of the yellow dust," 
replied Bennie. 

" Gold is discovered in queer ways," mused Phinney. "One of the 
most profitable mines was discovered by the kicking of a dying deer. 
At another time a party of prospectors found a dead man beside the trail 
and decided to give him Christian burial. In digging a grave they struck 



SEMINOLE AND MEXICAN WARS. 235 

a very rich mine, and the stranger was placed in another grave — a less 
valuable spot." 

" How do they get the gold after they find it ? How do they mine it, 
I mean?" asked Katie. 

"There are several ways," answered Mamma Nelson. "Placer 
mining is washing the surface earth, and the richest deposits are in the 
river beds, where the gold particles, for ages, have been washed down 
from the mountains. Cradle mining is similar, except that the earth is 
placed in a rude hopper, under which are graded sieves, like those in a 
grain fanning mill." 

" From i860 to 1890 the placer mines in Montana yielded about 
$150,000,000. Hydraulic mining is done by carrying water in ditches or 
flumes, sometimes for a long distance, while mercury in the boxes sepa- 
rates the gold from the rest. Sometimes a large stream of water is 
thrown against the sides of the gulch to wash the dirt into the flumes* 
This kind of mining did such damage in California by covering farm 
lands with debris, that the legislature passed a law against it." 

HOW MINING IS DONE. 

" Lode mining is done by sinking shafts, by drilling, and by blasting. 
For the first hundred feet the ore can be taken to the surface in buckets 
with a windlass, then horse power with pulleys is used, and when the 
opening reaches a depth of two hundred and fifty feet, steam power 
is needed. Horizontal drifts are made, where railway tracks are laid. 

" These openings are all heavily timbered to prevent the dirt from 
caving in. Miners wear lights in their caps and the best artificial lights, 
with reflectors, are placed at intervals. After the ore is taken from the 
earth it is put into a mill to be crushed, then it is washed as in hydraulic 
mining. The smelters get the richest ores. This process is to crush 
and bake the ore, the metal being thus extracted, and refined afterwards." 

" Don't they sometimes find lumps of gold ? " asked Bessie. 

" Yes, nuggets or lumps of unusual size are found in all gold mines. 
The first California nugget was worth less than a dollar, since then 



236 SEMINOLE AND MEXICAN WARS. 

many have been found which were worth from one to five hundred dol- 
lars, and one was said to be worth $43,000. 

" Big nuggets are fine to show, but it is the fine yellow dust which 
makes California's output count up to $1,200,000,000 in about forty 
years. Nevada's yield of silver was about $300,000,000 in thirty years. 
The first name of Arizona was ' Arizuma ' meaning ' silver bearing.' The 
war with Mexico was the means of opening the great west for emi- 
gration." 

" With Fremont's aid, you mean, mamma," suggested Charlie. 

FREMONT AMONG THE INDIANS. 

" Yes. Fifty years ago the whole west was controlled by Indians, 
..^id when Fremont went on his first expedition no one thought that he 
would keep his scalp until he reached the Rocky Mountains, where he 
planted the American flag upon what was then thought to be the highest 
peak. He went to find a railway passage through the mountains. After 
he looked out a trail emigrant wagons, 'prairie schooners,' became 
common. 

"Hundreds of human beings perished of starvation or were killed 
by the Indians in trying to find new homes. The discovery of gold in 
1848 made sane men wild, and many more lost their lives in the frantic 
search for the golden metal. In 1S59 the tide turned towards Pike's 
Peak, Colorado, and the Indian horrors of early times were repeated. 
Not more than forty years ago fear of the Indians caused the stage route 
from Leavenworth, Kansas, to Pike's Peak to be discontinued." 

" And now thriving villages and cities dot the great plains of the 
west, and from the comfortable seat of a Pullman car you can enjoy the 
landscape," observed Nettie. 

" But, in an unlucky day, it was discovered that buffalo hides were 
worth money, and their slaughter began. Often they were killed, 
skinned, and left to the coyotes and buzzards. When the first trains 
crossed the western plains they were sometimes stopped by large herds 
of these noble animals, now not one is to be seen. I think that none 




AMERICAN SWEDISH GIRL IN DALECARLIAN COSTUME 
OF OLD SWEDEN 




OUR SOLDIER BOYS IN THE PHILIPPINES WRITING HOME 



SEMINOLE AND MEXICAN WARS. 237 

are known to exist except in two or three small, semi-domesticated 
herds," said Hadley. 

''They build things quickly out west," laughed Josie. "Less than 
fifty passed the winter in Denver, Colorado, in 1858, and in 1890 more 
than seventy five thousand lived there in a handsome city. The first 
capitol of Colorado was a rude two-story house, the one that replaced it 
cost $1,000,000, and is two hundred and ninety-five feet long, one hun- 
dred and ninety-two feet wide, and three hundred and twenty six feet 
high, to the top of the dome. It has plate glass windows, polished hard- 
wood finish, and took one thousand carloads of cut stone, eleven millions 
of bricks, and four million pounds of iron to build it." 

THE FAMOUS LICK UNIVERSITY. 

"Their parks are not very small," continued Ray. "Golden Gate 
Park contains over a thousand acres, and is one of the finest of the large 
parks. And you remember the Lick Observatory. James Lick made a 
monument for himself when he gave it to the University of California, 
situated about fifty miles from San Francisco. He gave away a large 
fortune in his will, among other things a sum to erect a monument in 
Golden Gate Park to the memory of Francis Scott Key, who wrote 'The 
Star Spangled Banner.' " 

" What do you know about Francis S. Key ? " 

" He was born in Maryland, educated at Annapolis, studied law, 
and was a pretty good man," answered Ruth quickly. "That song was 
written under queer circumstances. Mr. Key was one of the men who 
were sent to the commander of the British fleet to treat for a release of 
the prisoners after the burning of Washington in 18 14. The com- 
mander was afraid to let them go back, because they feared that 
their preparations to bombard the fort were seen and understood by 
them. 

"So they witnessed the attack from the deck of .he enemy's ship. 
Through it all they watched breathlessly to see if the old flag kept its 
place. When the day broke 'the flag w r as still there ' and, in his joy 



238 SEMINOLE AND MEXICAN WARS. 

and thankfulness, Key wrote the famous song. Others say that it was 
written during the night, while watching the ( rocket's red glare.' The 
verses were first drafted on the back of an old letter." 

" What about stock raising in the west ?" 

" There are many stock-raisers between the Missouri and the Pacific, 
and where the herds of buffalo roamed, mules, horses, cattle and sheep 
are pastured. The first cattle are said to have been brought by 
Columbus in 1493. The cattle roam at will from November to May, 
the time of the ' round-up ' when the herds are gathered together by 
their brands, and the calves and colts are branded with red hot irons," 
answered Bennie. 

" I know what that is, for our Prince has a mark, papa says it is a 
brand, on his shoulder !" exclaimed Bessie. 

" The cowboys are almost Indians, aren't they ? " asked Katie. 

TRAITS OF THE COWBOYS. 

" Cowboys, as a rule, were brave and honorable, but bad ones gave 
the whole a bad name sometimes. If they fell in front of a stampede 
they were instantly trampled to death, and a slight noise was sometimes 
enough to send hundreds of the half wild brutes off on a stampede, and 
they would rush along blindly, no matter if a high precipice was before 
them. 

" Once in motion the head ones could not stop if they wanted to ever 
so badly, and then the cowboys tried to head them off. Sometimes a 
cool-headed fellow would gallop in front of them with an open bag of 
salt, leaving a trail of it behind him. The leaders were sure to want to 
stop when they reached that tiny trail, and, by the time the rear of the 
herd came up, they would begin to nibble at it." 

11 What kind of horses do they use? " asked Phinney. 

" I can answer," cried Charlie. "They are tough and wiry, and 
they know the business as well as their riders do. They know all about 
it without being told ! But I'd almost as soon meet a herd of cattle as 
to be caught in a prairie fire. The settlers start back fires when they 



SEMINOLE AND MEXICAN WARS. 239 

see one coming, and then fight with wet blankets, if they have water 
enough. The ground is ploughed around the houses and grain stacks 
when fires may be expected." 

" They have large fields of grain," ejaculated Nettie. "Sometimes 
there are ten thousand acres of wheat and corn on a single ranche. It 
grows very high, and the work is done by machinery. Steam gang, 
plows are used, an engine drawing a number of plows carefully set, and 
doing the work of many horses." 

" Sometimes a seeder sows grain in front of the plow, while a 
harrow follows it, and the planting is done at one time. In autumn 
comes a machine which cuts, binds, and sets the grain in position for 
drying, then, when it is ready, a steam thresher goes the rounds. It 
has been claimed that wheat cut in the morning has been eaten in bread 
at night ! " 

" Can you tell me about the Atlantic cable ? " 

MANNER OF HARVESTING WHEAT. 

" An unsuccessful attempt was made in 1857 to lay a cable between 

America and England, when two steamers — the United States Niagara 

nft .„ and the British Agamemnon — met in mid-ocean and each 
[1858] 

sailed for her own land, paying out the cable as she went. The 

same company tried again in 1865, but the cable parted." 

" The next year Cyrus W. Field pursuaded some capitalists to make 
another attempt, and the trial line was laid from Newfoundland to 
Ireland. Mr. Field crossed the ocean nearly thirty times in carrying 
out his plans, but they were a success, and now cables connect the 
countries of the whole world," answered Hadley. 

" Did anything of importance to the nation happen in 1859 ? " 

"John Brown seized the arsenal at Harper's Ferry, and the seeds of 

the terrible Civil War of America were being sown. The people, north and 

ria*QT soutn » forgot their dependence on each other, forgot the strength 

of their union, forgot that they were brothers of one blood, 

forgot their mutual triumphs of the past. 



240 



SEMINOLE AND MEXICAN WARS. 



[I860] 



[1861] 



" Looking back through the years we can appreciate the true bravery 
of each party, and see that the victory was won by the superiority of 
numbers, rather than the superiority of courage. An association has 
even been formed to purchase and protect the Connecticut home of John 
Brown, which is being carried away by vandal relic hunters," replied Josie. 
" It was in December, i860, that South Carolina seceded, and 
the war was practically begun," said Ray. 
"Jefferson Davis was made President of the Confederacy, and 

Abraham Lincoln President of the 
United States — united no longer. 
The example of South Caro- 
lina was followed by Mis- 
sissippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, 
Louisiana, and Texas. The forts, 
arsenals, and other public property of 
the United States was seized by the 
authorities of the States in which they 
were situated and were held by State 
troops, with the exception of Forts 
Moultrie and Sumter in Charleston 
harbor, and Fort Pickens at Pensa- 
cola," added Ruth. 

"Major Anderson saw that he 
could not hold Fort Moultrie, so he 
evacuated it and went to Fort Sumter. Then South Carolina wanted 
to buy Fort Sumter, but was refused," said Bennie. 

"In spite of the fears to the contrary, Abraham Lincoln arrived at 
the Capitol in safety, and took the oath of office, and, while he was 
sincerely anxious to avoid civil strife, he was determined to maintain 
the authority of the United States lover the seceded states," Katie 
exclaimed. 

" The Civil War of America was, in some respects, the most 
momentous struggle in the world's history. Large armies and fleets 




JEFFERSON DAVIS. 




PRESIDENT LINCOLN ON INAUGURATION DAY, MARCH 4th, 1861. 



SEMINOLE AND MEXICAN WARS. 



241 



were employed, and, for brilliancy of execution, its campaigns were 
equal to those of Napoleon and Frederick," observed Mamma Nelson. 

"Father says it was the worst war that ever was ! " cried Bennie. 

" War is an evil at best, my boy, but after years show good resulting 
from it. This one was needed to develop the strength of the country, 




FORT MOULTRIE, CHARLESTON HARBOR. 

to show to the world the extent of American bravery and fortitude, as 
nothing else could have done." 

" What was the cause of it all ? " demanded Jake. 

" It was not a sudden thing. Year by year the breach had been 
widening. The tariff question, slavery — there were many causes. Then 
came the c Kansas struggle,' during which General J. C. Fremont was 
the republican candidate for the presidency against James Buchanan, 
who was elected. 

16 



242 



SEMINOLE AND MEXICAN WARS. 



" What was the Kansas struggle ? " asked Bessie. 
" Why, don't you know ? " questioned Marion. " It was when Kan- 
sas became a state. The South and the Anti-slavery party both wanted 
to control her, and have her admitted to the Union under their own princi- 
ples. The Anti-slavery party finally won, and Kansas was a free state." 

" During the 
next four years 
the South became 
more bitter, and 
the North more 
resolute, A more 
determined man 
than Buchanan 
might have pre- 
vented the dread- 
ful Civil War, but 
it is doubtful. He 
was afraid, and the 
prospect of war un- 
nerved him, so he 
did nothing to pre- 
vent it, but even 
allowed arms to be 
sold to the south- 
ern states, which 
major anderson. were sec retly pre- 

paring for the coming struggle. When Lincoln was elected the signal 
for secession was given. Southern born officers in the United States 
army and navy resigned and entered the Confederate service," added 
Phinney. 

" Why didn't Lincoln stop them ?' Why didn't he see that supplies 
were sent to Fort Sumter ? Did he not know that it must be surrendered 
if help was not sent ? " demanded Marcella. 





GENERAL "STONEWALL" JACKSON 

THE CAMOUS CONFEDERATE COMMANDER 



SEMINOLE AND MEXICAN WARS. 



243 



" You must remember that Abraham Liucolu could do nothing 
until he took his seat March 4, and Buchanan would do nothing before 
that. He held an idea that he had no right to interfere with, or 
stop a state from even a treasonable act." 




JAMES BUCHANAN. 

"He did not remember that the United States are just like a family 
of children, and the father must punish them if they are naughty," 
laughed Phinney. 

"That's it, Phinney!" exclaimed Charlie. u But it didn't help 



244 



SEMINOLE AND MEXICAN WARS. 



Anderson at Fort Sumter, for no supplies were sent to him, and the 
place was surrendered April n, 1861, for the fleet which Lincoln sent as 
soon as he could did not get there in season to be of any use." 

"And the Palmetto flag was raised above it !" ejaculated Nettie. 
"The first secession flag was raised over Castle Pinckney, it was a 
Palmetto flag brought from one of the steamers. The second one was 

unfurled over Fort Moultrie. 
Then another took the place of 
the Stars and Stripes over Fort 
Sumter. As the fortress was 
evacuated one of the nothern 
soldiers was accidentally killed 
b}' firing the salute." 

" But, in exactly four years 
General Anderson raised the 
^t. same old, battered flag above 
the ruins of Sumter," said Josie. 
"Did any of you think of it ?" demanded Hadley, quickly. "In 
the two great wars of the United States — the Revolution and the Civil 
War — the first blood shed was that of Massachusetts men, at the battle 
of Lexington and in passing through Baltimore; and both great armies 
surrendered in Virginia, at Yorktown and at Appomattox." 

" Massachusetts aud Virginia have always been friendly rivals," 
smiled Mamma Nelson. "And now I want you to do some faithful work, 
and see what you will be able to tellme about the Civil War." 




THE CONFEDERATE FLAC. 




GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE 




CHAPTER XIV. 

HEN the young people were again assem- 
bled for their evening study they received 
an agreeable surprise. Mamma Nelson 
gave each of them a copy of Wilson's Pictorial 
History of the Great Civil War of America. 

" From the firing on Fort Sumter to Lee's sur- 
render was one dark nightmare of horror to the nation 
which was passing through that worst of all national 
evils, — a civil war," she began. "As we shall have 
no time to follow all the interesting details which j-ou 
ought to know. I have bought these copies of the most impartial 
history of that time that I can find, and I want you to study it 
thoroughly." 

; ' We will begin it for your sake, because you are so kind to us, but 
I expect we shall finish it for its own interest," laughed Jake. 

u You will find that both sides had able leaders, their names are 
household words, and many of them had distinguished themselves in 
other wars, when they stood shoulder to shoulder agaiust a common foe. 
Those same ones, or their sons, again rallied in the war against Spain, 
once more united, and are in the Philippines now. Now who will tell 
me the principal events of the year 1S61 ?" 

"Well, Kansas was admitted to the Union ; the Confederacy was 
formed, with Jefferson Davis 'as president ; Lincoln was inaugurated as 
President of the United States," began Charlie. 

"Dates, if you please," smiled Mamma Nelson. 

"April 12, Fort Sumter was bombarded. April 15, Lincoln made 

a call for seventy-five thousand three month's men. April 17 Virginia 

215 



246 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



[1861] 



seceded. April 18, the United States arsenal at Harper's Ferry- 



was destroyed by National troops. April 20, Gosport Navy Yard 
was destroyed. And the Confederates were defeated at the batttle of 
Philippi, W. Va., June 8," said Nettie. 

"Wait, you are ahead of time," cried Josie. " Arkansas, North 
Carolina, Tennessee, all seceded before June 8. Delaware, Maryland, 
Kentucky, and Missouri were divided and undecided, but finally remained 

in the Union. Pierce, of the National 
army, was defeated at Big Bethel, Va., 
June 10. There was a National vic- 
tory at Romney, Va., June 11. And 
June 16, Lyon won a victory at Boon- 
ville, Mo." 

"July began with an indecisive 
battle between Jackson and Siegel at 
Carthage, Mo. Then Rosecrans' vic- 
tory at Rich Mountain, W. Va., July 
11. July 18 there was a small battle 
at Blackburn's Ford, succeeded by the 
battle of Bull Run, July 21, a crush- 
ing National defeat if the Confeder- 
ates had followed up their advantage, 
which they did not do. Each army 
was finding out the strength of its opponent, which had been underesti- 
mated. Lincoln's next call was for half a million men," added Hadley. 
"Lyon was victorious at Dug Spring, Mo., August 2d, but was 
killed at Wilson's Creek, Mo., August 10th. August 28th there was a 
national victory at Hatteras Inlet, N. C. Columbus, Ohio, was occu- 
pied by the Confederates September 4th. Price defeated Mulligan at 
Lexington, Mo., in a battle fought from September 17th to 20th. And 
the battle of Ball's Bluff, October 21st, was another defeat for the 
North, and General Baker, a brave and able officer, was killed," con- 
tinued Ray. 




ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 247 

"I think that you told me Kentucky was for the Union ; was it a 
peaceable and unanimous decision?" 

"No," answered Ruth. "The young men were mostly on the 




GENERAL GEORGE B. M'CLELLAN. 

Confederate side, while the older ones were true to the Union. So 
fathers and sons were on opposite sides. The North and South never 
had any realization of the war as it was in Kentucky and Missouri. 
November ist, General Scott retired on account of his age, and McClellan 



248 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



was appointed commander-in-chief. Two battles were fought November 
7th, the first at Port Royal entrance, S. C, where the national troops 
won the victory ; and the other at Belmont, Mo., Grant and Polk, which 
was undecisive." 

"So the first year of the war ended, and the year of 1862 began 

with the battle of Mill Springs, Kentucky, January 19th, where Thomas 

was victorious. February 6th, Fort Henry, Tenn., was captured 

by Foote. February 8th, Burnside won the battle of Roanoke 

Island; and February 16th, Fort Donelson, Tenn., surrendered to Grant. 

It was so cold the night before that some of the dying soldiers chilled. 

General Grant slept in a negro hut, and General 
Smith slept on the ground," said Bennie. 

"This was followed by the evacuation of 
Bowling Green, of Nashville and of Columbus ; 
the Confederate line of defence was broken, and 
they were driven from Kentucky. One of the 
disagreeable surprises of 1862 for the national 
troops was the appearance of the Merrimac, which 
lieutenant-general polk, was scuttled and sunk when Norfolk Navy Yard 
was abandoned by them, but was raised, repaired, and renamed Virginia 
by the Confederates." 

" And she sunk the Cumberland ! " exclaimed Katie. 
"And burned the Congress !" ejaculated Jake. 

"Father told me all about that sea fight," cried Bennie. "Folks 
were afraid that the terrible Merrimac would attack the forts along the 
coast, and, perhaps, New York." 

" Pho ! Ericsson wasn't asleep, and pretty soon he came to the 
front with that little cheese box, that they called the Monitor. She was 
so small she looked as if the big Merrimac might swallow her whole, 
and she was such a looking thing that the government would not accept 
her until she had been tried and proven," said Phinney. 

"Then she was on a trial trip, looking for something to test her 
powers ? " 




THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



210 



" Yes," laughed Bessie. " And she found the Merrimac. She 
didn't wait for an attack, either, she met her more than halfway. It 
was a naval David and Goliath, and little David won the day. The 
Merrimac retreated to Norfolk, and the Monitor was accepted by the 
government. Then every one rushed to see the queer little craft 
which had upset naval ideas so completely." 

" What became of the two vessels ? " 

"The Merrimac was blown up by the Confederates May n, when 
Norfolk was captured by Wool, and, later in the year, the Monitor 
foundered in a storm off Cape Hatteras," answered Marion. 

"Two battles were fought 
March 4, one was won by Pope 
at New Madrid, Mo., and the 
other by Burnside at New 
Berne, N. C, and the hearts of 
Northern people were cheered 
while the South was discour- 
aged," added Marcella. 

" Then came the battle of 
Shiloh, Tenn., April 6-7, where 
Grant defeated Beauregard, and 
20,000 men were lost. Foote and Pope captured Island No. 10, with six 
thousand men, April 7. The second line of Confederate defence was 
broken by this victory," Charlie began. 

" March 25, Burnside demanded the surrender of Fort Macon, 
under command of Jefferson Davis' nephew, Colonel M. T. White, who 
replied hotly that he would not yield until he had eaten his last biscuit 
and killed his last horse. But, April 25, the place was taken, and 
Burnside ran up the old banner as well as a bright new flag of his own 
Fifth Rhode Islanders, presented to them by the women of Provi- 
dence. April 10-12 Gilmore won Fort Pulaski, and the National army 
commanded the entrance to the river," added Nettie. 

"Before March the entire Atlantic and Gulf coasts, excepting 




BURNING HORSES AT SHILOH. 



250 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



Charleston, S. C, were under National power, and it was decided to go 
up the Mississippi, while Foote, from No. 10, went down it. April 24, 
Farragut passed Forts Jackson and Saint Philip, destroying the Con- 
federate navy at that point, the iron-clad Manassas sharing the fate of 
the smaller vessels. Porter followed with the mortar boats and con- 
quered the forts." 

CAPTURE OF NEW ORLEANS. 

" The first of May, New Orleans was occupied by National troops 
under General Ben Butler, and, although the place was won by a small 
loss of men, it was a great victory, because it gave the National troops 
control of Louisiana. May 5, McClellau won at Williamsburg, Va., and 




ISLAND No. 10. 
May 10, Norfolk was taken by Wool. May 27, Hanover Court House 
was captured by Fitz John Porter and Beauregard evacuated Corinth, 
Miss. May 31, and June 1, McClellan won the battles of Seven Pines 
and Fair Oaks, Va," said Hadley. 

"Davis captured Memphis, Tenn., June 6. June 26, the Seven Days 
battles began in Virginia, between McClellan and Lee. McClellan's 
greatest fault was his extreme caution. General Grant, or Stonewall 
Jackson, with his splendid army, would have ended the war quickly," 
declared Josie. 

" But, instead of keeping ' on to Richmond ' he beat a masterly 
retreat," laughed Ruth. 

" August 9, Jackson won the battle of Cedar Mountain, Va., where 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 251 

Winder was killed. And about this time the Sioux war began in Min- 
nesota," said Ray. 

" What was that for ? Didn't folks know that the United States 
had fighting enough on her hands ? " demanded Bennie. 

" The real cause of the outbreak was that the government did not 
meet a payment due the tribe for lands. They were in want of the 
money; and, when it did not come, they thought they would fight for it. 
Little Crow was their leader, and Redwood Agency, with the houses 
around it, was burned on the very day that the money reached Fort 
Ridgely. In 1863 the Sioux and Blackfeet 
were again on the warpath," answered 
Charlie. 

"August 26 to September 1, was a 
victorious campaign for Lee, between Man- 
assas and Washington. The most import- 
ant battles were Groveton, Second Bull 
Run, and Chantilly. Kearney and Stevens 
were killed. Sept 4-7, Lee invaded Mary- 
land, and McClellan won a victory at South 
Mountain, Md., September 14. September major-general phiiip ke«rney. 
15, Harper's Ferry was surrendered to Jackson by Miles, with twelve 
thousand men. The battle of Antietam, Md., was fought between Lee 
and McClellan, September 17 ; the National loss was nearly thirteen 
thousand, and the Confederate about the same ; although it could not 
really be called a National victor} 7 it was a gain for the cause. But it is 
only fair to say that Lee's force was but little more than half that of 
McClellan," said Bennie. 

" Munfordsville, Ky., was captured by the Confederates Sep- 
tember 17. Rosecrans was victorious at Inka, Miss., Septembor 19-20, 
and won the battle of Corinth, October 3-4. October 8, Bragg made 
an unsuccessful attack on Perryville, Ky. December 7, Blunt won 
at Prairie Grove, Ark. December 13, Lee wcm the battle of Fred- 
ericksburg, and the National army lost twelve thousand men. December 




THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 253 

14, Foster won the battle of Kinston, N. C, and on the last day of 
the year one of the fiercest battles of the war, that of Murfreesboro, 
Tenn., resulted in a victory for Rosecrans," added Katie. 

" 1863 opened with the Emancipation Proclamation, and colored 
troops were immediately enlisted. McClerand won the battle of Fort 
Hindman, January 11, and was again victorious at Fort Gibson, 
Miss., May 1. Then came the battle of Chancellorsville, a great 
victory for Lee, while the Federals lost eighteen thousand men, May 
2-3. Two generals were killed, whose loss was keenly felt. General 
Ferry, of the Federal army, saved the ann}^ from destruction in the first 
day's fight, and was killed while charging on the second. He was a 
brave, fearless man, a native of Rockland, Maine," said Jake. 

THE HERO OF CHANCELLORSVILLE. 

"And I know who the other was !" cried Bessie. "It was Stonewall 
Jackson, who will live in history as the hero of Chancellorsville. His 
death was a great blow to the Confederates, but equal to a victory for the 
National army. To make this battle more terrible a fire started in the 
forest where the dead and wounded lay, and many of them were burned. 
This disaster was followed by Early's victory of May 3-4, then McPherson 
and McClerand won at Raymond, Miss., May 12, and at Big Black River, 
Miss., May 17. 

"But the Federals were repulsed at Vicksburg, Miss., and at Port 
Hudson, La., May 22-27," declared Marion. 

" Greggs cavalry won at Brandy Station, Va., June 9, and West 
Virginia was admitted to the Union June 19," protested Phinney. 

"It was in June that Morgan made his famous raid into Kentucky, 
and Lee invaded Maryland and Pennsylvania," cried Marcella. 

"When Barbara Frietchie 

' Bravest of all in Frederick town 

Took up the flag the men hauled down, 

And leaning far out on the window sill 
She shook it forth with a loyal will,' " 
quoted Bennie. 



254 THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 

"May and June were dark days for the North, for no great triumphs 
had been won during the year, and they had had many reverses," said 
Mamma Nelson. "Then came the battle of Gettysburg. It was the 




LIEUTENANT-GENERAL T. J. JACKSON. 

great battle of the war, although some of the others may have had more 
important results." 

"And don't you remember that they had a panorama of it at Boston, 
mamma, and Uncle Jack took me to see it?" cried Charlie eagerly. "If 




.:■•■? 



- -.'" ; ' ; 



GENERAL GEORGE G. MEADI 





GENERAL JOHN C. FREMONT, THE RENOWNED EXPLORER 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 255 

a real battlefield looks like that — and grandpa said that it did, and he 
was there, — I never want to see a real one." 

"But yon would be a man if the Union was going all to pieces?" 
shouted Bennie. 

"Yes, I hope I would — I almost know I would," was the hesitating 
answer, and the boy's cheeks flushed, as he looked around with flashing 
eyes. 

"Grandfather was wounded the first day of the fight, and taken 
prisoner. He was in the Sixteenth Maine, and that was where they tore 
up the silk flag which the women at home gave them. They didn't want 
the Confederates to get it, you know. Some of the pieces went through 
Libby prison — they were sewed into the corner of my great uncle's blouse, 
I've seeu 'em," nodded Katie. 

PICTURE OF GENERAL LEE. 

" When I think of Gettysburg I can seem to see General Lee, dis- 
mounted, leaning against his tired horse, his arm thrown over the saddle, 
a sorrowful group around him, and the clear, calm moonlight over all. 
His saddened face told that he realized the defeat, and he stood among 
his officers in silence," said Jake. 

" How do you know that ? " demanded Phinney. 

"I read it in Wilson's history." 

" General Reynolds was killed at Gettysburg," Bessie went on. " But 
the battle was a National victory and put a stop to the invasion, if nearly 
fifty thousand lives were lost. I find it hard to give figures in anything," 
protested Marion. "Even the histories which are called reliable do not 
agree when figures and dates are wanted." 

" Something else happened on that fourth of July. Holmes was 
repulsed at Helena, Ark., and Vicksburg surrendered," cried Marcella. 

" Yes, and Vicksburg was a great trimph, for it settled the question 
of navigation on the Mississippi river, and, more than that, it determined 
the fate of the Confederacy. Grant took thirty thousand prisoners with 
the place, and made it an easy task for Banks to take Port Hudson, 



256 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



July 8. July 16, Sherman destroyed Jackson, Miss. ; September 6, Fort 
Wagner, South Carolina, was captured by the Federals ; September 8, 




GENERAL SHERMAN AT THE OUTBREAK OF THE WAR. 

Crittenden occupied Chattanooga, Tenn. ; and Steele took Little Rock, 
Ark., September io," said Charlie. 

" That briugs us to the battle of Chickamauga, Ga, September 
19-20, when Bragg was victorious, and Rosecrans lost sixteen thousand 
men," added Nettie. 



THE GREAT CIIVL WAR. 257 

" But November 23-25, the Federals defeated Bragg at the battle of 
Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain," declared Josie. 

"And December 4, Lougstreet raised the siege of Knoxville, Tenn., 
and that ended the battles for 1863," said Hadley. "The close of 
the year brought hope to the North. The navy had not been idle ; and, 
in spite of the losses in Chancellorsville and Chickamauga, and the inva- 
sion of Maryland and Pennsylvania, the South were fairly started on the 
road to defeat ; the Confederate army was driven from Missouri and the 
greater part of Arkansas ; the Mississippi river was in the hands of the 
Federals ; Tennessee also ; and the invasion of the North had ended in 
disaster. New industries had been opened, and, in fact, the North was 
growing richer, as the South was growing poorer, because of the war." 

kt So the year opened with bright promise for the National cause, 

although Richmond was still baffling thearmy of the Potomac; Charleston 

was still held bv the Confederate ; and very active Confederate 

armies were still in the field. Ray, tell me about Sherman's 

raid from Vicksburg, February 14." 

SHERMAN'S MILITARY EXPLOITS. 

" He left Vicksburg to take Meridan— and he did it. All extra 
baggage was left behind, and, throughout the march, all from the com- 
mander to the private bivouacked in the open air, beside brightly blazing 
camp fires. He had no trouble in taking Meridan, for the Confederates 
retired, and it was destroyed. Naval battles were being fought as well 
as those on the land, and Finnegan defeated Seymour at the battle of 
Oluskee, Florida, February 20." 

"Go on, Ruth." 

"March 12th, the Red river expedition went up the river. April 
8th, Banks was defeated at Sabine Cross Roads, and the defeat was 
almost as bad as that of Bull Run. When they were in full retreat, 
with the enemy behind them, they were met at Pleasant Grove, three 
miles away, by National reinforcements, and the battle of Pleasant Hill 
changed defeat into victory for Banks. Then came the terrible fight at 

17 



258 THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 

Fort Pillow, Term., the fort being garrisoned by five hundred and fifty 
men, two hundred of whom were colored, under command of Major 
L. F. Booth, the white men being under command of Major W. F. 
Bradford. The garrison fought bravely, Booth was killed, and soon 
Forrest's men swarmed into the fort, and no Indian massacre could 
rival the scene which followed. 

" Even the sick in the hospitals were murdered, and Major Bradford 
shared the common fate. Nor was this all. The human fiends seemed 
to delight in dealing out the most cruel deaths that they could think of. 
Men were shot in cold blood, drowned, even crucified, burned alive, and 
nailed to houses, which were then set on fire. The Confederates won 
the victory of war at Fort Pillow, but Forrest and his men lost the 
victor}* of principle and the respect of a whole world." 

MORE THAN 30,000 LOST IN ONE BATTLE. 

"April 20, the Confederates took Plymouth, N. C," Bennie went 
on ; "and May 5-7, the great battle of the Wilderness was fought 
between Grant and Lee, in which more than thirty thousand lives were 
lost. Grant thought to conquer by superior numbers, and Lee by his 
superior sharpshooters. 

" Both failed in their purpose. The Wilderness was a wild, desolate 
region of worn out tobacco fields, covered by scraggy oaks and pines, 
sassafras and hazel. On this strange battleground one of the mightiest 
battles of the war was fought, with nearly half a million men engaged. 
General Sedgewick was shot by a Confederate sharpshooter. General 
Longstreet was shot through mistake by his own men, and probably 
that saved the army of the Potomac." 

"Sherman began his march from Chattanooga May 7, and great 
things were done 'when Sherman marched down to the sea,'" said Ray. 

"Then came the battle of Spottsylvania Court House,''' continued 
Katie. " Five times Lee charged to get possession of a coveted point, 
and five times he was repulsed. The loss was terrible on both sides, 
trees were cut down and bodies piled in heaps. If it was not a decided 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



259 



National victory, it was not a National defeat. May 13-15, Johnson was 
defeated by Sherman at Resaca, Ga. ; May 15, Siegel was defeated at 




GENERAL LONGSTREET. 

Newmarket, Va. ; and the National troops were victorious at North 
Anna, Va., May 23-27." . 

"That isn't all in May ! " exclaimed Jake. "Sherman won at 
Dallas, Ga., May 25-28, but the battle of Cold Harbor, June 1-3, was a 
national defeat. At this place, when the two armies were confronting 



260 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



eacli other, and trying to strengthen their positions, friendly salutations 
were exchanged by the men who might meet in deadly strife on the 
morrow." 

"It was there that two pickets, one in blue and one in gray, were 
conversing one night. The National trooper called out :— ' I'd give five 





aKk--:-' 








BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT-HOUSE, 
dollars to know what your Bobby is thinking of just now.' Quick as 
a flash the answer came : — 'Why, you blamed fool, it would burst your 
head open ! ' " laughed Bessie. 

" I wonder if it was there that, when a well posted battery was play- 
ing upon the advancing line of the enemy and the colonel had given 
the order to charge a sergeant stammered : — S-say, c-c-olonel, w-wouldn't 




GENERAL WILLIAM T. SHERMAN 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



261 



it b-be a g-good p-plan to t-take up a c-c-collection and b-buy t-that i-infer- 
nal t-t-t-thing ? I-I'd be g-glad to p-pay my s-s-share !' " cried Pbiuney. 
"Sheridan's raid was begun May 9, to destroy Fredericksburg and 
the Virginia Central Railroad, and to threaten Richmond. He met 
Stuart at Yellowstone Tavern, a few miles north of Richmond, where 
Stuart was mortally wounded. Sheridan pushed on, and Custer's brigade 
carried the outer line around Richmond, but, finding the second line too 



iMtyfr r 



t- WP mm 




BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR. 

strong to insure success, Sheridan retraced his steps, skirmishing as he 
went, until he rejoined the army," Marion went on. 

"June 16-18, Grant was repulsed with a loss of ten thousand men at 
Petersburg, Va. But he immediately began the siege of that city, made 
another assault July 30, which was also a failure, but he finally captured 
the place April 3, 1865," said Marcella. 

"June 19, there was a naval fight off the coast of France 
between the Alabama and the Kearsage. The Alabama was built in 
England, with an English outfit, and nearly all English sailors. The 



262 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



Alabama opened fire and sent three broadsides without receiving any 
reply. The firing from the Confederate vessel was rapid and wild, while 
that from the Kearsage was slow, steady and deliberate. Twenty 




SHERIDAN'S CAVALRY CHARGE AT CEDAR CREEK. 

minutes after the Alabama surrendered the waters of the English 
channel closed over her," exclaimed Charlie. 

"I don't care if it did !" cried Phinney. "She was a privateer, and 
she had burned sixty-five vessels, estimated at ten millions of dollars." 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 263 

" Nettie, tell me what happened in July, 1864." 

"July 9-14, Early invaded Maryland, and threatened Washington, 
and July 9, he was defeated at Monocacy, Md. July 22-28, Sherman won 
Atlanta, whichjhe occupied September 8. July 24, Sherman was repulsed 
at the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, Ga., and the Fourth of July was 
celebrated by the national lines before Petersburg by a salute of thirty- 
four shots from thirty-pounder Parrotts, followed by a general play of 
artillery on the steeples of the city, while the military bands played 
national airs. 

" That isn't all — July 30, Chambersburg, Pa., was burned," said 
Hadley. 

"Tell me what happened in August, Josie." 

OUR "AMERICAN NELSON." 

" August 5, Farragut won the name of the ' American Nelson ' by 
his victory at Mobile Bay, Ala. It was there that the Tecumseh struck 
a torpedo and went down with nearly all of her crew. She was com- 
manded by T. A. M. Craven, of New Hampshire. August 18, the 
Weldon Railroad was seized by the Federals, and Hancock was repulsed 
at the battle of Ream's Station, August 25." 

"Sherman was marching right along. August 31-September 1, he 
won the battle of Jonesboro, and occupied Atlanta, September 2," nodded 
Ray. 

" And I guess Sheridan wasn't idle," Ruth chimed in. " He won the 
battle of Winchester, September 19, and that of Fisher's Hill the 22nd. 

"I saw a pretty good take-off on Sheridan's ride, supposed to have 
been the sentiments of Jubal Early, who was excusing the defeat." 

" He said : 

' Should ten thousand fresh horsemen against us now ride 
The} r would be sufficient to turn the tide ; 
Then, in heaven's name, what could we do but skedaddle 
When fifty thousand rode in one saddle ? ' " 

said Bennie. 



J» 



264 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



"Schofield won a victory at Franklin, Term., December 13, Hazen 
captured Fort McAlister, Ga. December 15-16, Thomas won the battle 




COMMODORE DAVID G. FARRAGUT. 

of Nashville, Tenn. And December 22, Sherman entered Savannah, 
Ga. That closed the year 1864," Katie concluded. 

' The first thing of the } T ear 1865 was an effort to close the war 
without further bloodshed, but nothing could be agreed upon," Jake 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



265 



n began. "January 15, Fort Fisher, N. C, was taken by Porter 

and Sherman began to inarch northward from Savannah on the 
first of February, took Columbia, S. C, February 17, and occupied 
Charleston February 18, and Sherman had marched to the sea." 

"Schofield captured Wilmington, N. C, February 22, and Slocum 
won the battles of Avery sboro, N. C, March 16, and Bentonsville, N. C, 
March 19. The battle of Fort ^^^_. 

Stedman, March 25, was unde- 
cisive," added Bessie. 

"Then Sheridan won the 
battle of Dinwiddie Court 
House, March 31, and that of 
Five Forks, Va., April 1. Then 
April 9, Lee surrendered to 
Grant at Appomattox, and the 
great war was ended," Marion 
almost shouted. ''General 
Grant treated the beaten army 
with great liberality. They 
were fed, and, after laying 
down their arms, were permit- 
ted to return to their homes. 
Grant released all of the horses general Robert e. lee. 

which were identified as private property by the Confederate soldiers." 

" I found a good story of this time," said Phinney eagerly. "Just 
after the surrender a National officer asked a Confederate officer of equal 
rank if he had any money. Receiving a negative reply he placed a roll 

of bills in his hand, saying : ' I live in . Take this, and if you ever 

feel able, you may send it to me.' The generous act of one stranger to 
another was never forgotten, and every dollar was paid." 

"Bells were rung throughout the North, patriotic speeches were 
made, and houses illuminated. It was a bright day of rejoicing after 
the long, black night of war. But, ere the soothing wings of peace were 




266 THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 

folded over the nation, a dense clond rested upon the White House, and 
Lincoln fell by an assassin's hand. His life had been threatened in 
anonymous letters, and he had been warned of assassination, but in his 
great, warm heart and noble life there was no room for selfish distrust. 
You all have heard the story of that dark 14th of April, but I can 
remember it distinctly." 

"What — you, Mamma?" Nettie asked in surprise. 

" Yes, I was a young girl then, and heard the news on my way 
home from school. I hastened home to tell it to father, and the family 
were just sitting down to dinner. I shall never forget their looks of 
horror and despair. As for me I forgot dinner, and rushed away to a 
dark corner in the old barn, and cried, and cried, — why, young people, I 
thought that the end of the United States of America had come ! " 

" But it hadn't, and Lincoln would say so if he was here to-day,'* 
declared Charlie. 

"HONEST OLD ABE LINCOLN." 

" The United States still lived and — grew. But no firmer hand will 
ever hold the helm of government, no more sagacious brain plan for the 
future of our land, than the hand and brain of ' Honest Old Abe.' ' 

" Why was he at the theatre, and what was done with the ones who 
caused his death ?" asked Josie. 

"Lincoln knew the value of recreation and, on the evening of April 
14, 1865, visited Ford's theatre. He was seated in a private box when 
John Wilkes Booth entered, from the back, and shot him in the head. 
He never spoke and died the next morning. Queen Victoria wrote a 
letter of sympathy to Mrs. Lincoln, and the ruler of every nation in 
Europe expressed horror of the deed. Even the South mourned him as 
a friend, and, in this lamentation of the South, Abraham Lincoln had his 
proudest triumph. Booth was shot in a burning barn ; Payne, Atzerot, 
Harold, and Mrs. Surrat were hung July 7, 1865. Dr. Mudd, O'Laugh- 
lin, and Arnold were imprisoned in the Dry Tortugas for life, and 
Spangler for six years." 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 267 

"I guess they were sorry after they did it," mused Phinney. 

"If they were no one knew it," answered Mamma Nelson. "I 
think it is about time for us to begin to think about entertaining the 
Concord History Club. Two weeks from to-night the decision is to be 
made, and we shall know which class has won the library." 

"Just think of it ! Don't it make you feel trembly inside ? " asked 
Bessie nervously. 

" Do as well as you have done in your every day lessons, and you 
will do very well," smiled Mamma Nelson encouragingly. 




HAT did happen after the assassination 
of Lincoln ?" asked Mamma Nelson. 
" Andrew Johnson, the vice-president, became 
President of the United States by the death of Lin- 
coln, and took the oath of office April 15th, and the 
affairs of state were slowly settled, and the Union re- 
stored," said Charlie. 
"What became of Jefferson Davis ?" 

" He was a prisoner in Fortress Monroe two years, all the other Con- 
federate officials being released within a year. Foreign nations prophe- 
sied, and many of our own people feared that the sudden return of such 
a large number of men to social life would be attended with evils, but 
both Confederate and National soldiers went back to their old avocations 
quietly, and gave the whole world a striking proof of the triumph of 
law and order in a free government," added Nettie. 

"Was there any more trouble with the Indians ? " 
" Yes, an Indian war had broken out during the latter part of the 
Civil War, in 1864, but Sheridan's vigorous measures, and Custer's victory 

over Black Kettle's band at Wachita, brought that war to a close 
riooon 

ill 1868," answered Hadley. 
" In 1876, the Sioux, under Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse considered 

the order to go on a reservation as a violation of their treaty rights, said 
that they wanted peace, but would fight if the troops came, 
although all they wanted was to be allowed to live like Indians, 

as their forefathers had done," continued Josie. " It was in this war that 

Custer and his command were killed, not a man escaping." Sitting Bull 

and his warriors were overcome and imprisoned." 

268 



[1876] 



A HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 269 

"It is said that the oldest son of Sitting Bull is earning his living 
as a bootblack in one of our large cities. His Indian name is Monte- 
zuma, but the English people call him Harry Parker. He is a graduate 
of Carlisle Indian School, married to a olaymate of his youth, and they 
have a cosy home and happy children." 

"You are ahead of time," cried Ray, "There was a Modoc war in 




THE LAVA BEDS— SCENE OF THE MODOC WAR. 

California in 1873. That the Modocs were once a great and powerful 
r tribe is proven by the remains of their villages. The}' have always 

been unconquerable and treacherous. In April, 1873, peace com- 
missioners were sent to confer with Captain Jack and his head men, but 
were attacked and most of them murdered. One of the Indians, Boston 
Charlie, offered to lead the troops to the lava beds where they were hid- 
den, so they were captured, and the leaders hung." 



270 



A HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 



" It was decided that Chief Joseph and his band of Nez Perces 

must move on from their home in Oregon to the Lapwai reservation in 

Idaho. They objected, claiming that the territory was theirs by 

the treaty of 1855, and General Howard was sent to make them 

go. Many lives were lost before they retreated to Idaho. They were 




SCENES IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF ALASKA. 

overtaken at Bear Paw Mountain, where, after a hard battle, the Indians 
surrendered." 

' All through the campaign,' said General Sherman, ' the Indians 
displayed a courage and skill that elicited universal praise. They 
abstained from scalping, let captive women go free, and did not murder 
as indiscriminately as usual, and fought with scientific skill,' " said 
Ruth. 

riQR7l " What important event happened in 1867, although at the 

time it was not considered as important as it proved to be? " 
"It was the purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7,200,000, and it 



A HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 271 

was regarded as valuable only for its furs, fisheries and harbors. It is 
about as large as France, Germany and Great Britain combined. Mount 
St. Elias, the highest peak in North America, and one of the highest 
single peaks in the world, is eighteen thousand feet. The weather, 
even if ninety degrees below freezing point, does not seem so very cold 
when there is no wind. The changes are very sudden, there is no 
spring and no autumn, the trees begin to bud in April, and mosquitoes 
have begun their summer work in May." 

RIVERS SWARMING WITH FISH. 

"The rivers swarm with fish, the finest salmon in the world, and 
there are white hares, moose and deer. The Koloschians live south of 
Mt. Elias, on the islands. The dead are never burned, but are placed in 
boxes on posts. North of this tribe are the Kenaians. The Coyukons, 
along the Yukon river, are feared by all the other tribes. The Aleuts 
are of mixed blood (Koloschian and Russian) and are more advanced 
than the other Esquimau races. Four-fifths of Alaska has an Arctic 
climate," replied Bennie. 

"Can you tell me anything about the discovery of Alaska, Katie ?" 

" To extend the domains of Russia, Peter the Great sent Captain 
Vitus Bering on an exploring expedition to the new country of America. 
He and his lieutenant, Tschericov, left Petropaulovsky June 4, 1741, 
with two small vessels. A violent storm separated them and the com- 
manders never met again. They sailed through Bering Sea and the 
lieutenant discovered land first. After the storm which parted them he 
sighted Alaska and sent twelve men on shore for water. They were never 
seen again, and were probably killed by torture. He reached home with 
only forty-nine of his crew of seventy. 

" What became of Bering, Jake ? " 

"He landed near what is now Kayak Island, where he got supplies, 
then was driven out to sea by a storm, where he drifted about, encounter- 
ing storm after storm, until November. Bering died on one of Com- 
mander islands, and his crew lived through the winter on sea lions and 



272 



A HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 



the northern sea cow, which is now extinct because the Russians were 
so fond of its flesh that they continued to stop and fill large casks with 
it as long as they could find any of the creatures to kill." 

"Is that all there is to say about our northern territory?" 

"No. In 1745 Micheal Novidiskov landed on the western island of 




ESQUIMAU IN HIS WATER PROOF CANOE. 

N7451 ttie ^ leut * an cna i u - He was not in search of geographical knowl- 
edge, but after the sea otter. His men were cruel to the natives 
and quarrelsome among themselves, but so successful as fur hunters 
that many others followed them," answered Bessie. 

"Marion, how large is Alaska?" 

"Just about one-sixth as large as the whole United States. I found 
this description of Fort Wrangel in 'Our Arctic Province,' written by 
Elliot. It says, 'Fort Wrangel is a fit introduction to Alaska. It h 



A riUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 273 

most weird and wild of aspect. It is the keynote of the sublime and 
lonely scenery of the north. It is situated at the foot of conical hills, at 
the head of a gloomy harbor, which is filled with gloomy islands, while 
frowning cliffs and beetling crags surround it on all sides, stretching 
away in the distance. 

'"Lofty promontories guard it, backed by range after range of sharp 
volcanic peaks, which in turn are lost against lines of snowy mountains. 
It is the home of storms, — you see them in the broken pines on the cliff 
sides ; in the fine wave-swept rocks ; and in the lowering mountains. 
There is not a bright touch in it — not in its straggling line of native 
hnts, each with a demon-like totem beside it ; nor in the fort, for that is 
dilapidated and fast sinking into decay.' There, didn't Elliot have the 
blues when he wrote that ? " 

PRODUCTS OF SITKA. 

"It depends on the truth of it," nodded Phinney. "There are great 
forests, beautiful ferns, small groves of crab-apples, and small fruits. 
In Sitka it is not very warm in summer nor very cold in winter, except 
in the severe weather. There are no domestic animals but dogs. But 
one thing is very nice for the women, every member of an Indian family 
does his own washing ! " 

"There are plenty of fine salmon in Copper river, which washes the 
foot of Mount Wrangel. Immense glaciers are all the time coming from 
the interior in great ice rivers, the ice breaking into bergs when it reaches 
the sea. Foxes are blue instead of red in Alaska. And Bering Sea is 
filled with wonderful seal islands," continued Marcella. 

"The year in which General Grant was inaugurated was the one 
in which the Union and Central Pacific Railroad was completed. Some 
riQficn amus i n & stories are told about it. The Indians were greatly 
astonished, and called the engine a ' fire-wagon ' and the cars 
' heap-wagon-no horse. 1 An Arizona chief gathered his braves and went 
several hundred miles to see one of the white man's ' fire-wagons.' " 

" I will tell you the first story," cried Charlie. " An indignant 

18 



274 



A HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 



Indian, who thought that the cars frightened the buffalo away, climbed 
a tree beside the track, tied one end of a long lariat around his waist, and 
then threw the noose of the other end of the lasso around the smoke- 
stack of an express engine. He had a ride for nothing ! " 

"I don't believe that story," exclaimed Nettie. "But here is one 
which I have seen in print many times. A large party of braves under- 
took to stop an express train by 
dividing their party, each side 
holding one end of a long, stout 
rope, which they stretched 
across the track in front of the 
coming train, and braced for the 
shock. The engineer saw what 
was up, opened the throttle, 
and was going at the rate of a 
mile a minute when the cow- 
^catcher struck that rope. The 
cars did not stop, but a pile 
of astonished Indians watched 
the train out of sight." 

" Engineers said that it was 
impossible to build a road over 
the Rockies, the wonderful work was accomplished without any serious 
accidents in less than four years. Workmen were suspended from the 
tops of the precipices to drill and split the rock for a roadbed, and the 
road through one canyon alone cost $140,000 per mile. 

"The road winds around and around the mountains until the top is 
reached, and, far below, one can see lakes, forests, and villages. One 
passenger once asked another, how far he thought it was to the valley 
below them. 'I don't know, but I think that w r e are very near eternity,' 
was the solemn reply. Yet accidents are not as common up there as 
they are on what we would call safer ground, perhaps because so much 
care is taken to prevent them," said Hadley. 







A HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 



275 



''Itmust be fun to go through the black tunnels, along the narrow 
roadbeds with the overhanging rocks above your head, and around and 
around mountains, when you have to go ten miles to get ahead one ! " 
cried Josie scornfully. 

" But think of what you would see ! " protested Ray. 

"Did you ever think that, by this railroad, the shortest route to 




INDIANS WATCHING THE FIRST TRAIN ON THE PACIFIC RAILROAD. 

India was found, Mamma Nelson ? Just what all the old discoverers 
were hunting for!" exclaimed Ruth. 

[1871] " I think 3^011 are right," was the smiling answer. " What hap- 
pened in i 87 i ? " 

" The great Chicago fire, with a loss estimated at $300,000,000, which 
destroyed the homes of ninety-eight thousand people. At the same time 
terrible fires were raging through Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan, 
and many people thought that the end of the world was surely coming. 



276 



A HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 



In Greeu Bay, Wisconsin, the sun looked like a ball of fire for more than 
six weeks, and the city was barely saved by a terrible thunder shower, 
which came up against the wind that was driving the fire upon it. 

"Of over two thousand inhabitants in the little village of Peshtigo, 
not more than one-fourth survived, and the bodies of wild and tame 
animals, and human beings, were fifteen feet deep at the sluice-way, when 




THE BURNING OF CHICAGO. 

the water was drawn off. Of the crew of eighty at Williamson's mill, 

but two were saved. I might tell you of a lot more places, for my uncle 

lived in Wisconsin then and told us all about it. Why, more than fifteen 

hundred lives were lost just in Wisconsin," said Bennie. 

[1872] 'The next year there was a $100,000,000, fire in Boston," added 
Katie. 

" 1875 completed the centtin^ from the beginning of the Revolution 



278 



A HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 



[1076] 



and the events of 1775 were celebrated with appropriate cere- 
L -I monies in the various places where they occurred. Vasts crowds 
from all over the land, visited Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill, and 
one of the most gratifying features of the time was the presence of a 
large number of Southern soldiers, and the fact that they participated 
heartily in the ceremonies," continued Jake. 

" The next year was the 
anniversary of the Inde- 
pendence of the United 
States, and preparations had 
been made to observe it 
properly," Bessie 
observed. " An in- 
ternational exhibition was 
held in Philadelphia, and 
all the nations of the world 
were invited to attend. It 
was opened with imposing 
ceremonies May 10, 1876, 
and was one of the most 
notable events of the cen- 
tury, for it illustrated the 
progress of our country. 
james A. garfield, It was visited by millions." 

[1881] " Marion, what happened in 1881 which will be remembered as 
long as the history of the United States is read ?" 
"James A. Garfield was inaugurated March 4 ; assassinated July 2, 
and died at Long Branch, N. J., September 19. Chester A. Arthur took 
the oath of office the same day and became President. The crazy 
assassin was hung June 30, 1882." 

'' 1883 was a year of three notable things. Brooklyn bridge was 
opened ; the Northern Pacific Railroad was completed ; and two 




[1883] 



cent postage went into effect." 



A HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 



279 



[1885] 



" The people of France presented the Bartholdi Statue of Liberty 
to the people of the United States in 1885, and it was placed at the 
entrance to New York harbor. The pedestal was bought by- 
private subscriptions of the United States citizens," nodded 
Marcel la. 

u It was in 1S85 that Grover Cleveland was elected President of the 
United States for the first time," said Bennie. 
[1889] "And Benjamin 
Harrison, the ' Son of his 
Grandfather,' was elected 
in 1889," added Jake. 

" We meet Sitting Bull 
for the last time in 1890, 
when there was another 
Indian outbreak, and the 
weird l ghost-dance,' was 
celebrated," said Charlie. 
"Sitting Bull had 
'been telling his peo- 
ple that the ' Deliverer ' 
was coming, and, Decem- 
ber 15, there was a des- 
perate fight at the camp of 
the hostile Indians, in which Sitting Bull, his son Crow Foot, and six 
other Indians were killed, as well as four of the Indian police." 
" What is the year 1893 noted for ? " 

" The opening of the Columbian Exposition at Chicago. It 
closed October 30," answered Nettie. 

" Pho ! 1895 was better than that, for Roentgen gave the world 
the discovery of the X-rays ! " ejaculated Josie. 
"And the Cuban insurrection broke out," added Hadley. 
"Tell me what you can about Cuba." 
"It was in 1511 that colonization was begun in earnest under Diego 



[18901 




GROVER CLEVELAND. 



[1893] 



[1895] 




280 



A HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 



281 



Velasquez, with over three hundred men, Hernando Cortes among them, 
also the ' Apostle of the Indians,' Bartholome Las Casas. Hatuey had 
left San Domingo because of Spanish cruelty, and, when they landed in 
Cuba, collected his warriors to oppose them. Las Casas preached to the 
natives, freed his own slaves, and tried to defend the race; but while 
laboring for the red man, he forgot the rights of the black man, and was 
one of the commission that introduced negro slavery into America." 

" Upon the pages of his- 
tory he must stand beside 
Velasquez, who was the 
founder of Indian slavery. 
In less than fifty years 
nearly all of the native 
population of Cuba disap- 
peared from the island, 
some going to the other 
islands of the West Indies, I 
The Spaniards were so | 
cruel that the Spanish 
officeholders have been 
called the ' only beasts of 
prey in Cuba.' Havana 
was often attacked by hostile BENJAMIN HARRISON, 

ships of other nations, and, in 1538, was nearly destroyed by a French 
privateer. After that Fernando de Soto, then governor, built a fortress 
which still remains, — Castillo de la Fuerza. But it did not save the 
town from being again attacked by the French in 1554, and partly de- 
stroyed. Before 1600 two more forts w r ere erected, the Punta and Morro 
Castle. 

" The first settlers raised cattle, then tobacco and sugar cane was 
cultivated. French, English and Dutch, as well as pirates, considered 
the fertile island attractive prey. The walls around the city were 
begun in 1665. In 1762 the English fleet, under Lord Albemarle, 




282 A HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 

captured it, but it was restored the following year. The captaiu-general 
in 1790 was another Las Casas, who made great improvement in many 
conditions of the island, introduced the culture of indigo, and made 
efforts for the freedom of the slaves. When the colonies of Spanish 
America revolted, Cuba remained true, winning the name of ' The Ever 
Faithful Isle,' " said Ray. 

"In 1850, driven by the injustice of Spain, Cuba took up arms 
against the mother country, and from that time until 1895 there has 
been a succession of revolutions. Narcisso Lopez led a raid in 1848, 
organizing a band of six hundred in the United States, but without the 
countenance of the officials. He was driven from Cuba, but returned in 
1851, when he was captured and put to death. An American named 
Crittenden, and fifty men, were also taken, and met a cruel death in 
Havana." 

STORY OF THE TEN YEARS' WAR. 

"In 1854, Pinto raised a revolution, but found freedom in the guise 
of death. He was followed by Estrampes and Aguero, who found a like 
fate. Then came the Ten Years' War, beginning in 186S, when Cespedes 
raised the flag with the single star in Yara. He was a native Cuban, 
educated, and of noble ancestry, owning large estates. He owned two 
hundred slaves, whom he freed, and they all fought under him. The 
chief leader of the army was Maximo Gomez. The}' made a Declaration 
of Independence, were recognized by the South American republics 
organized a regular government, and elected a House of .Assembly. In 
1869, they issued an emancipation proclamation." 

"The story of Spanish cruelty was repeated day by day. A letter 
written by a Spanish officer at that time says : — ' We do not leave a 
creature alive where we pass, be it man or animal.' General Martinez 
de Campos offered them a treaty of peace which was accepted, but the 
government did not keep the promises which he made, and the final 
struggle began in 1S95. Campos was not so successful in making peace 
this time, and was succeeded by Weyler, 'the Butcher,' whose deeds of 
cruelty we all know about," added Ruth. 



A HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 



283 



[1897] 



[1898] 



" Two things worthy of mention happened in this year, — February 2, 
the Arbitration Treaty for settling the Venezuela boundary was 
signed at Washington, and it was ratified June 14. June 11, 
Andre started on his ill-fated Arctic expedition to reach the North 
Pole, and his fate is not definitely known," said Bennie. 

"What happened February 15, 1898, that aroused the indig- 
nation of Americans? " 

"The battle-ship Maine, which had been sent on a friendly mission 
to Havana, was blown up 
in that harbor, and that 
was the dh"ect cause of 
our war with Spain, for the 
cause was never clearly 
discovered, while all sorts 
of ugly rumors were afloat," 
replied Ray. 

" Go on in turn and tell 
the events of the war with 
Spain." 

"April 21, General Wood- 
ford, U. S. Minister to 
Spain, gave up his pass- 
ports, which was a polite 
way of declaring war, and 
the President signed the order for the United States squadron to go to 
Cuba." 

"April 22, the first shots of the war were fired by the gunboat 
Nashville in capturing a Spanish merchantman, and the blockade of 
Cuban ports began." 

"April 24, Spain made a declaration of war. 

"April 27, the batteries at Mantanza were silenced. The Monitor 
Terror captured the steamer Guido, with a valuable cargo." 

"April 29, the flagship New York silenced the batteries at Cabanas." 




WILLIAM McKINLEY. 



284 



A HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 



" May i, Dewey destroyed the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay." 
"May ii, Ensign Bagley and four men were killed at Cardenas. 
Bagley was the first American to lose his life in the war. The same 
day, in cutting the cable at Cienfuegos, one American was killed. " 

"May 12, the first infantry landed at Cabanas, and had the first 
land skirmish. And Sampson bombarded San Juan, Porto Rico, to see 

?|gp|^5^ if the Spanish fleet were 

there." 

11 May 19, Cervera's 
fleet was reported to be 
at Santiago." 

" May 25, the Presi- 
dent called for seventy- 
five thousand more vol- 
unteers." 

" May 27, four Spanish 

steamers were captured." 

" May 29, the night 

attack of the Pluton and 

Furor was repulsed. " 

"May 31, the Massa- 
chusetts, Iowa, and New 
Orleans had a fight with 
the Cristobal Colon and 
four land batteries." 




ADMIRAL GEORGE DEWEY— HERO OF MANILA. 



"June 3, a gallant act was recorded in the annals of naval warfare. 
Lieutenant Hobson and seven volunteers sank the collier Merrimac 
across the entrance to Santiago harbor, while under a fierce fire from the 
Spanish forts. They were taken, and exchanged for Spanish prisoners 

July 7- 

"June 6, Sampson silenced the outer fortifications of Santiago." 
"June 11, Marines attacked at Guantanamo Bay, and the Spanish 
repulsed," 



286 A HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 

"June 12, another attack and two Americans killed." 
"June 15, American warships destroy the fort and batteries at 
Caimanara." 

"June 21, the cruiser Charleston captured the Ladrone Islands." 
"June 22, the Spanish Terror attacked the American cruiser St. 
Paul and was disabled." 

"June 23, Shafter landed troops near Santiago. The first fight will 
be known in history as the battle of La Ouasina. For an hour and a 
half the troopers of the Frst and Tenth Cavalry and the Rough Riders 
held their ground, and, at the end of that time, the Spaniards beat a 
hasty retreat. 

SHAFTER'S TROOPS CAPTURE SAN JUAN. 

"June 25, the American troops, under Chaffee, occupied Sevilla." 

"July 1, Shafter's troops drove the Spaniards and took the heights 
of El Caney and San Juan." 

u July 3, Cervera's fleet was destroyed, and Cervera, with his men, 
made prisoners. The Spanish admiral made a gallant, but hopeless 
attempt to escape from the harbor.' 1 

"July 7, the Spanish prisoners were sent to Portsmouth, U. S. A." 

"July 10, the squadron bombarded the city of Santiago, which was 
soon after surrendered by General Moral, the Spanish commander, and 
the Stars and Stripes floated above it." 

"July 20, the United States contracted for transportation of prisoners 
to Spain." 

"July 26, Spain sued for peace." 

"July 27, Americans in Porto Rico advanced on Yauco, and Caim- 
anara surrendered." 

"July 28, Ponce, Porto Rico, surrendered." 

"August 2, Spain accepted terms of peace." 

" August 5, Guayama, Porto Rico, was captured." 

" August 6, the American troops began to return home." 



A HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 



287 







"August 12, the peace protocol was signed at Washington, and 
orders sent to military and naval officers to stop hostilities." 

"But Dewey didn't get the order, and he took Manila August 13, 
with seven thousand prisoners," Bennie concluded triumphantly. 

" And so ended the Span- 'l/f/^ / A * /$ /\ 

ish war in America, and Spain /* CCLt^^^i^K. ?(. AJ^^C/ 
lost a foothold in the land which 
she was first to discover. The 
United States assumed the military 
government of Cuba, until such 
time as she should be able to make 
and maintain a government of her 
own." 

" Another warship called the 
Maine has been launched. And I 
want to tell you a little story of the 
Spanish war be- 
fore I forget about 
it," cried Hadley 

eagerly. "It shows what kind of 
stuff American sailors are made of, 
even though they do not belong to 
the navy. During the war Captain 
Adelbert Phinney ran into Vera 
Cruz with a consigned cargo of coal. 
The consignees told him to unload it on a Spanish vessel. 

"The captain indignantly refused to do so, ' I will not lay my 
vessel alongside of one that flies the flag of a nation at war with 
my country, much less help her to an ounce of coal!' he said, 
and he didn't, although it cost him considerable to load it into 
lighters, and the Spaniards probably got it after he was through 
with it. I want you to know that that is the stuff that Americans 
are made of." 




EUGENIO MONTERO RIOS. 

B, DE ABARAZUZA. 

J. DE GARNICA 

W. R. DE VILLI-URRUTIA. 

RAFAEL CERERO. 







288 



CITY HALL, PHILADELPHIA 



A HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 289 

" Now we have come to the assassination of another president," ex- 
claimed Phinney. 

" Yes, you all know that the Pan-American Exposition was opened 
in Buffalo, in May, 1901, and that it was a great success. It covered 
about 350 acres of land, and aptly illustrated the progress of the century 
which has passed into history. September 6 was President's Day, 
President McKinley had delivered a speech at the Temple of Music, 
and was shaking hands with the people as they passed out. Death 
walked in that line of people although no one suspected the truth." 

"You mean Leon Czolgosz," interrupted Charlie. "The name is 
pronounced as though it was spelled Choalgosh, and it means a creeping 
crawling thing — like a venomous snake. His father was a Pole, his 
mother was German, he was educated in Catholic schools but did not 
believe in religion of any kind nor any law." 

" No, he was an avowed anarchist. When the President extended 
his hand and smiled, this human serpent extended his own hand and 
shot him. That was at about four o'clock, September 6, 1901," Ray said. 

THE PRESIDENT TWICE SHOT. 

" The assassin fired two shots, one ball glancing from the President's 
breast bone without doing serious harm, the other passing through the 
stomach into the back. It was this last wound which caused his death, 
September 14, at 2.15 A. M.," added Nettie. 

" Czolgosz would have fired more times if he had not been seized 
by the enraged bystanders. And he was not sorry for what he did until 
he saw Auburn prison, where he was sentenced and died in the electrical 
chair !" exclaimed Josie. 

" We can but pity his fate although we abhor the man," said Mamma 
Nelson, slowly. " He would not admit that he had accomplices, and 
declared that his own people had known nothing about it. Every person, 
of every creed or political party, expressed regret and horror at the act, 
with the exception of the anarchists, who had expected something of the 
kind perhaps ! They denied that the President of the United States had 

19 



290 A HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 

received his death sentence from their order, however, and some of them 
said that the efforts of the assassin 'might better have been employed 
across the ocean, npon some crowned head ! ' " 

" 'Uneasy rests the head which wears a crown !' This was the fourth 
attempt, which we are sure of, that has been made to kill a President of the 
UnitedStates, and three have succeeded. General Jackson defended him- 
self when an attempt was made on his life, January 30, 1835. Lincoln was 
shot by John Wilkes Booth, a secessionist, April 14, 1865, and several 
others were implicated in the plot and punished. Booth was pursued to 
a barn near Port Royal. 

THREE MARTYRED PRESIDENTS. 

" The barn was fired, but he refused to surrender and was shot by a 
cavalry sergeant, named Boston Corbett, who afterwards became insane. 
President Garfield was shot, July 2, 1881, by Charles Guiteau, an unsuc- 
cessful office seeker, who was tried and hanged. President McKinley's 
murderer was executed in the electrical chair, at Auburn, New York," 
said Ray. 

"Many great men have been assassinated during the last century," said 
Mamma Nelson. " Listen and I will name them. Paul, Czar of Russia, 
March 24, 1801 ; Premier of England, May 11, 1812 ; Due de Berri, 
February 13, 1820; Count Capo d'Istria, October 9, 1S31 ; Archbishop 
of Paris, June 27, 1848 ; Comte Pellergino, November 15, 1848 ; Duke of 
Parma, March 27, 1854; Prince of Montenegro, August 13, i860; 
President Lincoln, April 14, 1865 ; Prince of Servia, June 10, 1868 ; 
Archbishop of Paris, May 24, 1871 ; Marshall of Spain, December 28, 
1870; Governor General of India, February 8, 1S72 ; Sultan of Turkey, 
June 4, 1876 ; Turkish Ministers, June 15, 1876 ; Mehemit Ali Pacha, 
September 7, 1878. Alexander II of Russia, March 13, 1881 ; President 
Garfield, July 2, 1881 ; Carnot, President of France, June 24, 1894 ; 
President of Dominican Republic, July 26, 1899 ; Shah of Persia, May 
1, 1896; Premier of Bulgaria, July, 15, 1895 ; Empress of Austria, Sep- 
tember 9, 1898 ; Prime Minister of Spain, August 8, 1897 5 King 



A HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 



291 



Humbert, July 29, 1900 ; Governor of Belgian province, January 26, 
1901 ; President McKinley, September 6, 1901." 

" And Carnot, the Empress of Austria, the Prime Minister of Spain, 
King Humbert, and President McKinley are known to have been killed 
by anarchists ! " exclaimed 
Ruth. 

"Why don't they hurry 
up and make laws ? " de- 
manded Phinney. 

" When our President 
McKinley was shot the whole 
world was shocked. Crowds 
gathered at the bulletin 
boards, with sorrowful, anx- 
ious faces, and all part) 7 lines 
were forgotten. If a man 
with more ignorance than 
sense happened to express 
sympathy with the deed he 
did not repeat his indiscre- 
tion. The police were obliged 
to surround Czolgosz with 
extra guards as the reports, 
favorable at first, began to grow serious," Bennie continued. 

" Liberty is not license, and it is time that we had laws to keep folks 
out of our country till they can tell the difference between the two 
things. If they don't like our government we do not coax them to live 
here," declared Katie. 

" Garfield said, when Lincoln was killed, ' God reigns, and the gov- 
ernment at Washington still lives.' A nation echoed those words as it 
bowed in prayer September 19, 1901, when there were funeral services in 
every city and town of the United States. The body of the President 
was taken to Washington September 16, and laid in state in the rotunda 




THEODORE ROOSEVELT. 



292 A HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS. 

of the Capitol the next day, then was taken to his old home at Canton, 
Ohio, for burial, 11 said Bessie. 

"William McKinley now belongs to history, but the world is the 
better for his having lived in it," asserted Marion. " Americans are 
justly proud of his personal character, for he was a brave, true Ameri- 
can noble man" 

"At 3.35 P. M., September 14, 1901, Theodore Roosevelt took the 
oath of office and became President of the United States, declaring his 
intention to follow the policy of McKinley ' for the peace and prosperity 
and honor of our beloved country.' Can you give us a brief biography 
of President Roosevelt, Ray ?" asked Mamma Nelson. 

"He was born in New York, October 27, 1858; educated in the 
schools of New York ; graduated from Harvard ; served three terms in 
the legislature ; is an author as well as statesman ; owned a cattle 
ranche in Wyoming; in 1894 was Police Commissioner of New York; 
in 1897 was Assistant Secretary of the Navy ; in 1898 was colonel of 
the ' Rough Riders ;' in September of that year was governor of New 
York ; was Vice President and President in 1901." 

" And he will be a good President,' 1 nodded Bennie. " My father 
says so." 

"But never better than President McKinley!" asserted Katie, 
loyally. " Think how good and kind he was to little children." 

"You might go on and tell the kindly acts of President McKinley, 
but there is no need. They are recorded in the hearts of his country- 
men, never to be effaced," sighed Mamma Nelson. 




iNr^jSP.w"' 







CHAPTER XVI. 

OW we are ready to hear about our new 
possessions, Hawaii," began Mamma 
Nelson, taking the book from the table, and look- 
ing around expectantly. 

"First I want to say that it was in 1898 that 
reports came of the gold fields of the Yukon, and 
in the frantic rush for gold many lost their lives ! " 
exclaimed Marcella. 

"The origin of the Hawaiian natives is no bet- 
ter known than that of the North American In- 
dian," began Phinney. " Some say that animals, plants and people 
there resemble those of the Philippines, the Malay Archipelago, and 
Madagascar. Four great gods were worshipped throughout the Hawaiian 
islands— Ku, Lono, Kane, and Kanaloa. Pele, the great goddess of vol- 
canoes, caused eruptions and earthquakes, and was more feared than any 
other deity. Whenever the volcanoes were active sacrifices were made 
to her, animals were thrown into the burning lava fields to appease her 
wrath, and even human beings were thus sacrificed." 

" The traditions of Hawaii are quaint and interesting, but we have 
not time to tell them during study hours, as they have really no place 
in the history which we want to know about. But one of them, ' Hina 
of Hawaii,' bears a marked resemblance to the story of ' Helen of Troy,' 
and I know you will like to hear it," said Mamma Nelson. " Kaupeepee, 
a great chieftain, lived at Haupu long before the white man ever saw the 
shores of Hawaii. He was a buccaneer, who plundered the other islands 
of whatever pleased his fancy. 

'His enemy, chief Hakalauileo, who lived at Hilo, had a beautiful 

293 



294 OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 

wife named Hina. When Kaupeepee saw her he immediately fell in 
love with her, and resolved to capture and take her to his own home. 
One moonlight night, when she was bathing on the shore with her ser- 
vant women he caught her and carried her away to his stronghold where 
he kept her a prisoner, some say a willing one. Hakalauileo searched . 
fifteen years before he gave her up, and his two sons, as soon as they 
reached manhood, renewed the search. Learning that she was imprisoned 
in the great castle at Haupu, they attacked it, killed Kaupeepee, as well 
as his followers, and rescued their mother. 

HOW CAPTAIN COOK WAS RECEIVED. 

"The Hawaiians are cannibals," declared Nettie. 

"True Hawaiians are not cannibals," said Mamma Nelson. "Their 
traditions tell how a number of boats landed at Kauai, laden with strange 
men and women, and lands were given to them. They intermarried 
with them, and for a time, were at peace with them, then, in a fit of 
anger one was killed, and then eaten up, and, from that time, the new- 
comers began to kill and eat their neighbors. At last the Hawaiians 
drove them out. 

"Captain Cook gave the group the name of the Sandwich Islands, 
but they are called the Hawaiian Islands, from the largest of them all. 
Captain Cook fired upon the natives, killing one before he landed, yet 
he was well received by them, and visited several of the islands, being- 
treated kindly, even worshipped as a god." 

" Why, I thought that they killed him !" exclaimed Josie. 

"So they did when he fired upon them again. There was a fight, 
during which a chief speared him in the back, the spear going through 
his body. It is said that he was killed and eaten, but I could find no 
positive proof of it. Only a part of his body was found, but that had 
been prepared for burning, a burial which they always gave to the 
highest in the land. Can you tell me the history of Hawaii ?" 

" There is no reliable history before the islands were discovered by 
Captain Cook, but it is probable from traditions, that Spaniards visited 



OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 295 

there as early as 1527, and that Spanish ships often touched there, the 
sailors remaining and taking native wives. As early as 1819 Hawaiian 
boys came to the United States to be educated. In 1790 King Kamelia- 
meha I. captured two sailors from American fur vessels, and their descend- 
ants are still on the islands. They aided the ambitious chief in subduing 
other islands, and made them all subject to his rule. Whalers and 
traders began to stop there, missionaries were sent out, and civilization 
began," answered Hadley. 

" Can you tell me anything more, Ruth?" 

A PROFLIGATE AND EXTRAVAGANT KING. 

" Kamehameha IV began his reign in 1863, an< ^ was succeeded by 
Lunalilo, who ruled but one year. There being no lineal descendants, 
Kalakaua was elected. In seventeen years he nearly ruined the islands 
by his extravagance, and died in California in 1891. His sister, Liluio- 
kalani, was now queen, but was soon driven from the throne by a revo- 
lution, the islands assumed a form of republican government, with S. H. 
Dole as president." 

" But it was in a state of revolution and anxiety until it was 
annexed to the United States, August 12, 1898, when the American flag 
was raised at Honolulu. I wonder if it is any better now?" added Ray. 

" Isn't it funny ? Christmas is the same as our July — in weather, I 
mean !" exclaimed Bennie. 

''That wouldn't be any Christmas at all ! I should think folks 
would get things mixed," laughed Katie. 

" What can you tell me about the lepers?" 

' The natives say that leprosy was brought there from China, and call 
it 'Mai Pake,' or Chinese sickness, but this is contradicted by authorities 
who say that the disease is not like that in China. The leper colon}- is 
on Molokai, about five thousand acres, surrounded on three sides by the 
ocean, and on the other by a high, rocky hill. Here they have hospitals, 
churches, schools and nurses, but, once in the colony, they are as dead 
to the world as if they were buried," answered Jake. 



296 OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 

"Philippines next, and my cousin Levi is there," said Bennie. 

"What can you tell me about the Philippines ?" 

"They were discovered March 12, 1521, by Magellan, who was 
killed there April 27, in a battle near Cebu. He called them St. Laza- 
rus Islands, later they were called Islas Filipinas, in honor of King 
Philip II of Spain. Manila was founded in 1571, and was the Spanish 
capital for more than three hundred years. The city was captured by 
the British in 1 761, but was given back in 1764. Many of the tribes 
have never acknowledged Spanish rule, and there have been many 
rebellions — one in 1872 and another in 1896 being the most important 

ones. 

" Luzon is the largest island, its area being about equal to that of 
Cuba. Mindanao is next in size, and of the twelve hundred or more 
islands only four or five hundred are valuable for mineral or other pro- 
ducts, or can be cultivated. The inhabitants are chiefly Malay descent 
and consist of two distinct tribes, the Tagals and the Visayas, of which 
there are sub-tribes," answered Phinney. 

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ISLANDS. 

" What of the Negritos ?" 

"They are in the wild parts of the islands, and are probably the 
original inhabitants," replied Bessie. 

" Describe the islands, Marion." 

"They are of volcanic origin, well watered, with deeply indented 
coasts, fine harbors, very mountainous, and with much undeveloped min- 
eral wealth," was the ready answer. 

" Are the hills bare or wooded, Marcella ?" 

" They are covered with forests of valuable timber ; there are no 
roads to speak of in the interior, and vast tracts of the land are utterly 
unknown to white men. There are about seventy miles of railroad, 
seven hundred and twenty of telegraph, and a cable to Hong Kong. 
From north to south the islands extend about a thousand miles, are 
tropical, healthy except near the marshes, and have an agreeable climate, 



OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 



207 



March to May is the hottest time, and November to February the cold- 
est, while yellow fever is unknown." 

" My big cousin Levi is out there," cried Bennie eagerly. "Let 
me read you what he says in some of his letters, I brought them on 
purpose, because I knew we would have the Philippines. He says : — 




STREET SCENE IN MANILA— PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 

( We could plainly see that the mountains and valleys were, for the most 
part, thickly wooded with heavy timber. Later on we entered the 
famous bay where Dewey did his splendid fighting. We passed a 
Spanish fort, and entered the bay, which is so long that we could see 
land only on either side, it being about thirty-five miles from the island 
to Manila. 

" 'In a little valley, with mountains on each side, we could see the 
Red Cross waving over about a dozen buildings. It was the government 



298 OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 

hospital and it looked like paradise to us. We dropped anchor at 
six o'clock, just close enough to see a white line where the houses stood 
on low, level ground, which gently sloped to the water, with a back- 
ground of lofty mountains. I went on duty at ten o'clock — all around 
us were vessels, men-of-war, transports and sailing vessels, and, for what 
seemed three miles along the shore, there extended a white line of elec- 
tric lights, dotted here and there with red ones.' " 
"What did he write after he landed?" 

QUEER TOWN OF OLD MANILA. 

"He said : ' I am in Manila at last, or I was there, but am now just 
outside of the walled city. We were taken from the transport Indiana 
on a steam launch, and carried a short distance up the river, landing at 
what is known as old Manila, the walled city. We entered the city 
through a gate in the wall, and found ourselves in narrow streets, 
between stone buildings of two and three stories — a .very queer, quaint 
place. 

" 'The roads are patroled by soldiers all of the time. This is a large 
country. One does not realize its extent until he has sailed around a 
few of the twelve hundred islands which compose the group. Vegeta- 
tion is rank, but things go to waste in a way that shocks us Americans. 
The houses that are not made of stone are built of bamboos, those for 
the floor being split, and the roof and walls thatched by the same. 

" 'The walls are lined inside, and the partitions are made of cane, 
woven as we see split bottomed chairs at home. The roof runs out six- 
teen feet, covering a veranda all the way around the house. The floor 
of the house which I am in is made of rose-wood and mahogon}^, the 
chief kinds of lumber here.'" 

"Does he tell anything about the animals?" 

" Yes. ' For animals there is a small pony, and a water buffalo which 
some call a caribou. They are similar to a cow ; the males are used as 
oxen and the females are milked. When the male is hitched up and 
starts to run away, there is only one way to stop him, and that is to 



OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 299 

shoot him. They have very large horns, like the Texas steer, which 
bend around until they almost make a curve over the shoulder, being 
fully three feet across at the widest part. 

"' These oxen are driven by Chinks, a name applied to a certain 
class of Chinese. They wear loose fitting clothes, a large basket hat, 
and use a two wheeled cart. They do all the work here, and the govern- 
ment pays them seven dollars a month. We all have them for servants, 
but, as Chinks are lazy, we have to work pretty hard to get them to do 
the work.' " 

"What else does he say? You haven't read all yet !" cried Ray. 

THE NATIVES ON THEIR MARKET DAYS. 

" What else does he say ? Well, listen : — ' Such magnificent nights 
as we are having ! These southern moons are something to dream about 
for the rest of our lives, and just think of being under the magic South- 
ern Cross ! You ought to see the native women here, with their great, 
bare feet, and they carry everything on their heads. I never could stand 
still and balance things on my head, but they will walk along as uncon- 
cerned as you please, and never lift their hands. The natives have a 
market day every Saturday, and then the village square is filled, and 
resembles a huge hornet's nest. They make quite a picture as they 
come riding in, most of them women. They have a pony with a pack 
on his back, and they ride on top of the pack.' " 

''The Philippines are quite a place after all, when we get through 
fighting I am going out there," said Jake. 

"You will have to wait awhile then," returned Charlie. 

"Yes, I guess you will have time enough to pack your trunk," 
added Hadley. " And — do you folks remember that next Friday is the 
time which Mr. Harland has appointed to hear the history classes ? The 
library is ours." 

"You have not finished your lessons yet," said Mamma Nelson 
quietly. " Now we will have a review, taking each State separately. 
You may tell me when discovered, how bounded, the capital, and when 



300 OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 

admitted to the Union. Marcel la, tell me the general history of the 
United States, what form of government, how many states and terri- 
tories, boundaries, and area in square miles." 

" It has a republican government; forty-five states and four terri- 
tories ; bounded on the north by Canada, on the east by the Atlantic 
Ocean, on the south by Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico, and on the west 
by the Pacific Ocean. Its area is equal to all Europe." 

"Nettie, can you tell me about the Hawaiian Islands, and the pos- 
sessions acquired by the Spanish war ?" 

NUMBER OF SQUARE MILES THE ISLANDS CONTAIN. 

" The Hawaiian Islands cover about 6740 square miles, and were 
admitted to the Union in 1898. The Philippines comprise about 1200 
islands, were discovored by Magellan in 1521, and cover about 115,000 
square miles. Guam, one of the Ladrone Islands, is of volcanic origin, 
very fertile, has perpetual summer, and rain almost every day. It 
covers about 150 square miles. Wake Island covers about five square 
miles, and Porto Rico about 3760 square miles. All of these, with the 
exception of the Hawaiian group, became the property of the United 
States when peace was declared, in 1899, with Spain." 

" What about Alaska, Hadley ?" 

"Alaska covers 58,000 square miles, and is a thousand miles from 
north to south. It was discovered by Bering in 1741, and its name sig- 
nifies ' Great Land.' Sitka is the capital. It is just now noted for gold 
discoveries, and may prove to be worth more than it was thought to be." 

"Josie, can you tell me what wars have been fought since the nation 
was founded, their date and duration ?" 

" Oh, dear ! Is that in my turn ? Well, the first was the Revolu- 
tion, in 1775, which lasted seven years ; Northwest Indian war, in 1790, 
lasted five years ; French war, in 1798, two years ; war with Tripoli, 
1801, four years ; Creek war, in 1813, one year ; war with Great Britain, 
1812, two years and eight months ; Seminole war, 1817, one year ; Black 
Hawk war, 1831, one year and a half; Cherokee war, 1836, one year; 



OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 301 

Creek war again, 1836, one year and five months ; Florida Indian war, 
1835, eight years; Aroostook war, 1838, one year; Mexican war, 1846, 
two years and three months ; Apache, Navajo and Utah war, 1849, s ^ x 
years ; Seminole war again, 1856, two years ; Civil war, 1861, four years ; 
Spanish war, 1898, three months and twenty-two days." 

THE DOOR OF UNIVERSAL LIBERTY. 

" Well done ! Has the country many lakes and rivers, Ray ?" 
" It is well watered with great lakes and long, broad rivers." 
" What can you tell me of the inhabitants, Ruth?" 
"They are composed of nearly all the races on the globe, for the 
door of Universal Liberty is always open, and our government is founded 
on the principles of justice and right." 

" Bennie, can you give us an idea of its government?" 
" There is a President elected every four years by an electoral col- 
lege, the members of which are chosen by the people on the first Tues- 
day following the first Monday in November. There is a Senate and a 
House of Representatives. The members of the Senate are chosen every 
sixth year and each State is entitled to two members. 

" The number of Representatives sent by each State are decided by 
its population. They are chosen every two years, and must be over 
twenty-five years of age. The Executive Departments are State, 
Treasury, War, Navy, Interior, Post Office, Law, Agriculture, Educa- 
tion, Pension, Patents, etc., and these control the machinery of the 
government. The Supreme Court is the highest tribunal of law, and 
the President is commander-in-chief of the army, and has full executive 
power." 

" Very well, indeed!" said Mamma Nelson heartily. "If you all 

do as well in review " 

"You will be sure of the library!" shouted Marcella. 



CHAPTER XVII. 




RUST we are all rested, and are all eager 
to take up the history where we left it. 
Our lesson will be very interesting this 
evening. Indeed," said Mamma Nelson, 
"history is an excellent subject to stud} 7 , 
for it furnishes us with the information 
every young person should have stored in 
memory. And besides being useful, it is a satisfaction to feel that 
you know the story of your owu country. 

" When we remember that four hundred years ago not a white man 
lived in America, that its fertile fields and lovely valleys were covered 
by a dense forest, that the sound of the steam whistle, the whirr of busy 
machinery, and the hum of business activity have succeeded the silence 

broken only by the dreadful war-hoop, 
wheu we can realize these things we can 
begin to understand what we owe to the 
*k££ perseverance and wisdom of those early 
settlers, whose faults we are more ready to 
coat-of-arms of maine. blame than we are to praise their virtues," 

said Mamma Nelson. " Marion, tell me about the State of Maine." 
" It is the largest of the New England States, and is in the extreme 
northeast of the United States. It is hilly and broken, with beautiful 
lakes, broad rivers, and fertile valleys. It was first discovered by Norse- 
man, then by Cabot, Verrazzano, and Gomez. First permanent settle- 
ment was made in 1604. It was under the control of Massachusetts 
302 





MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 303 

Unti 1820, when it was admitted to the Union as a State. Augusta is 
the capital, and the motto is ' Dirigo,' meaning 'I direct.' Its area is 
33,040 square miles." 

"Phinney, what about New Hampshire?" 

"The State has but eighteen miles of sea coast, and is high and 
mountainous, the White Mountains covering 1400 square miles. For 
nearly ten months of the year the peaks 
of the highest ones are covered with snow, 0^a 
and that skives them their name. Martin dB'ix^l^/ll A II BP3t 
Pring was the first explorer known ^W^R^^^^^^-^l 
have visited the States, in 1603, and the £^^S^^^^^^^^' 
first permanent settlements were at Dover coat-of-arms of new Hampshire. 
and Portsmouth in 1623. It belonged to Massachusetts at first, but 
was one of the thirteen original States, and the capital is Concord, and 
the area is 9305 square miles." 

"Both of you have done very well, but you have forgotten to bound 
your States. What are the boundaries of Maine, Marion? " 

"It is bounded on the north by Canada; east by New Brunswick; 
south by the Atlantic Ocean; and west by New Hampshire." 

"New Hampshire is bounded on the north by Canada; on the east 
by Maine; on the south by Massachusetts, and on the west by Vermont," 
said Phinney quickly. 

"That is better. Charlie, tell me about Vermont." 

"Vermont was the home of the Green Mountain Boys. First settled 
?4*-^&_ at Brattleboro in 1724, and admitted to 

the Union in 1791. Montpelier is the 
capital, and the motto is ' Freedom and 
^U Unity.' It is bounded on the north by 
gggj^&*^^~ Canada; on the east by New Hampshire; 

coat-of-arms of Vermont. u the south by Massachusetts, and 

on the west by New York, and the area is 9565 square miles." 

" What about Massachusetts Nettie ? " 
" It has an Indian name meaning 'The Country of the Great Hills." 




304 



MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 




COAT-OF-ARMS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



It is hilly in the western part and rocky all over. Boston is the 
capital. First permanent settlement was made in 1620, by the Pil- 
grims at Plymonth. It was the leading 
one of the thirteen States, and has 
always been among the first to defend the 
Union. It is bounded on the north by New 
Hampshire and Vermont ; on the east by 
the Atlantic Ocean; on the south by Rhode 
Island and Connecticut ; and on the west by Rhode Island and New 
York. Its motto is 'Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietum,' mean- 
ing ' By the sword she seeks peace under liberty.' Area 8040 square 
miles." 

"Hadley, what can you say about Rhode Island? " 
"It is the smallest State in the Union. Bounded on the north and 
west by Massachusetts; on the south by the Atlantic Ocean; and on the 
west by Connecticut. It has many islands. It was discovered by the 
Northmen, who established Vineland. 
But the State was actually founded by 
Roger Williams in 1636, when he made ^ 
a settlement at Providence. The capital 

is Providence, and it was one of the coat-of-arms ofrhode : ;land. 
original thirteen States. Motto 'Hope.' Area 1250 square miles." 
"Josie, tell us about Connecticut." 

" It was one of the thirteen original States, and the capital is Hart- 
ford. It was settled by the Dutch in 
1633, an d is noted as the State of the 
'Charter Oak.' Bounded on the north 
by Massachusetts; on the east by Rhode 
Island ; on the south by Long Island 
Sound, and on the west by New York. 
Motto ' He who transplants still sustains.' Area 4990 square miles.' 
" Ray, what of New York ? " 
" It is called the ' Empire State,' and is noted for Niagara Falls. 





COAT-OF-ARMS OF CONNECTICUT. 



MOTTOES OF [HE STATES. 



305 



New York Bay is one of the finest harbors in the world. Albany 
is the capital, and it is one of the first thirteen States. It was dis- 
covered by Henry Hudson in 1609. 
Bounded on the north by Lake Ontario, 
Canada, and the St. Lawrence River ; - 





on the east by Vermont, Massachusetts, JL 
and Connecticut; on the south by the .=^: 
Atlantic Ocean, Pennsylvania, and New coat-of-arms of new york. 

Jersey; on the west by New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Lake Erie, and 
Canada. Motto 'Excelsior.' Area 49,220 square miles." 
" Ruth, it is your turn." 

" New Jersey was another of the first thirteen States, and it is 

bounded on the north by New York; on 

the east by New York and the Atlantic 

Ocean; on the south by Atlantic Ocean 

££~ and Delaware Bay; and on the west by 

Pennsylvania and Delaware. Trenton 

coat-of-arms of new jersey. jg t h e capital, and it was settled in 1616 

by Dutch traders, and in 1638 by Swedes and Finns. It was united 

with New York until 1776. Area 8175 square miles." 

" What of Pennsylvania, Bennie." 

"It was one of the original thirteen, and is called the ' Keystone of 
the Federal Arch.' Philadelphia is 
called ' The City of Homes ' and k The 
Workingman's Paradise.' Penn settled 
the State in 1682, and it has always 
maintained the principles which he es- 
tablished. The battle of Gettysburg 
was fought within its borders. Its motto is ' Virtue, Liberty, Inde- 
pendence.' It is bounded on the north by New York and Lake Erie; 
on the east by New Jersey and New York; south by Delaware, Maryland, 
and West Virginia; west by Ohio and West Virginia. The capital is 

Harrisburg. 
20 





COAT-OF-ARMS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 




Area 44,985 square miles. 



3oe 



MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 





" Katie, you may go on with Delaware." 

" Delaware is bounded on the north by Pennsylvania ; east by the 

Delaware River and Bay and Atlantic 
Ocean ; south and west by Maryland. Its 
area is 2360 square miles. It is one of 
the original thirteen States, the capital 
is Dover, and it was settled by Swedes 
and Finns in 1638. Its motto is 'Liberty and Independence.'" 
" What about Maryland, Jake ? " 

"It was one of the first thirteen, has fine harbors, was settled by 
Calvert, under Lord Baltimore's charter, 
in 1634, and the capital is Annapolis. 
Bounded on the north by Pennsylvania ; 
on the east by Delaware and the Atlantic 
Ocean ; on the south by Virginia and 
West Virginia ; and on the west by the coat-of.arms of Maryland. 

same; and the area is 9860 square miles. Its motto means 'Increase 
and Multiply.'" 

"Tell us about the District of Columbia, Bessie." 
" Its area is about seventy square miles, and it was ceded by Mary- 
land in 1788, as the Seat of Government. In 1791 it became the capital 
of the United States, and the government business was moved there 
in 1800." 

" The great plateau of Ohio comes next," cried Marion. "It was 

discovered by La Salle in 1680. The first 



* white settlement was made at Marietta in 
= 1788, and it was admitted to the Union 
pi in 1802. It covers 40,760 square miles, 
and is bounded on the north by Michigan 
coat-of-arms of ohio. and Lake Erie ; on the east by Pennsyl- 

vania and West Virginia ; on the south by Kentucky ; on the west by 
Indiana. The capital is Columbus. The motto means 'A government 
within a government.' " 




MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 



307 




COAT-OF-ARMS OF INDIANA. 




' The broad table-land of Indiana is bounded on the north by the 
State and Lake of Michigan ; on the east by Ohio ; on the south by 
Kentucky ; and on the west by Illinois, 
and its area is 35,910 square miles. It 
was first settled by Canadian French in 
1702, and admitted to the Union in 1816," 
added Phinney, " and the capital is 
Indianapolis." 

"Very well. Can you tell us about Illinois, Marcella ? " 

" I was just going to begin," protested Marcella. "I will tell the 

capital first, so I will not forget, it is 

jp, Springfield. It is bounded on the north 

by Wisconsin ; on the east by Indiana ; 

H south by Kentucky ; and on the west by 

Iowa and Missouri, and it covers 56,000 

coat-of-arms of Illinois. square miles. French missionaries made 

the earliest settlements, and it was admitted to the Union in 1818." 

"Now it is my turn again," said Charlie. "And there isn't much 
to tell about Michigan. Lansing is the capital; the first white settlement 
was made in 1668, and it was admitted 
into the Union 1837. It is bounded on 
the north by Lake Superior and Canada ; 
on the east by Canada and Lake Huron j 
on the south by Ohio and Indiana ; and 
on the west by Lake Superior and Wis- 
consin. Its area is 58,915 square miles, 
defend it.' " 

" W T e shall not be able to finish all of the review at this lesson, but 
will begin with Wisconsin next time," said Mamma Nelson, closing 
the book. 

Then Mamma Nelson gave some information concerning Michigan, 
stating that it was nicknamed the Wolverine State, probabh 7 on account 
of the wild animals, including wolves, that formerly infested its forests 




COAT-OF-ARMS OF MICHIGAN. 

The motto means ' I will 



508 



MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 



and mountains. It was one of the latest States east of the Mississippi 
that were settled by immigrants from the East. It was formerly custom- 
ary to see covered wagons containing families, cooking utensils and other 
necessaries for housekeeping, traveling West through New York and 
Ohio, Michigan being the destination. 

In the early periods of its settlement the State had the name of being 
unhealthy on account of the great prevalence of malaria. It would seem 
as if everybody expected to have chills and fever, and in most cases the 
dismal expectation was realized. However, the swamps have been 
drained, the dense forests have been cut down, the land has been tilled 
and cultivated, villages and cities have sprung up, institutions of learning 
have been planted and Michigan is now one of our foremost States. 

In the northern part of the State there is a mining district of great 
wealth, copper ore especially being found in great abundance. Large 
amounts of capital are invested and there appears to be no limit to the 
metals stored away in this part of the State. 

" The motto of Wisconsin means 'Civilization succeeds barbarism.' 
The capital is Madison, and the area 
56,040 square miles. The first white 
settlement was made at Green Bay in 
1639, and it was admitted as a State in ~**Jj§ 
1848. It is bounded on the north by 
Lake Superior; northeast and east by coat-of-arms of Wisconsin. 
the State and Lake of Michigan ; on the south by Illinois ; and west 
by Iowa and Minnesota." 

"How about Kentucky, Hadley?" 

" The name means 'The dark and bloody ground,' audit was called 
&i rj) so because it was the favorite hunting 
ground of tribes of warlike Indians. 
Frankfort is the capital, and the area is 
4o,40osquare miles. The motto is 'United 
we stand, divided we fall.' It was settled 
coat-of-arms of Kentucky. by Daniel Boone in 1769, and admitted 





MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 



309 




as a State in 1792. It is noted for Mammoth Cave, the largest known 
cavern in the world. Bounded on the north by Illinois, Indiana and 
Ohio; on the east by West Virginia and Virginia; on the south by 
Tennessee; and on the west and northwest by Missouri and Illinois." 
"Tennessee comes next," cried Josie. "It is noted for fine 
marbles. Nashville is the capital. The 
first permanent settlement was made in 
1756, and it was admitted to the Union 
in 1796. It is bounded on the north by 
Kentucky and Virginia ; on the south- 
east by North Carolina and the Alle- coat-of-arms of Tennessee. 
ghany Mountains; on the south by Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi; 
on the west by Arkansas and Missouri ; and covers 42,050 square miles. 
Motto: 'Agriculture and Commerce.'" 

"Virginia was surely one of the original thirteen States," declared 

Ray. "Its motto is 'Sic Semper Tyran- 
nis,' 'Ever so to tyrants.' It is noted as 
the principal place of military operations 
t during the Civil War, and its area is 
42,450 square miles. Richmond is the 
capital, and the first settlement was made 
in 1607. It is bounded on the north by Maryland and West Virginia; 
on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, Maryland and Chesapeake Bay ; on 
the south by North Carolina and Tennessee ; and on the west and north- 
west by Kentucky and West Virginia." 

"West Virginia was a part of Virginia until 1862, and was admitted 
to the Union in 1863," sa id Ruth. "Char- 
leston is the capital, and the State motto 
is ' Mountaineers are Always Freemen.' 
It is bounded on the northwest by Ohio ; 
on the northeast and east by Pennsyl- 
vania and Maryland ; on the east, south- coat-of-arms of west Virginia. 
east and south by Virginia; the southwest by Virginia and Kentucky." 




10* 

COAT-OF-ARMS OF VIRGINIA. 




310 



MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 





"What distinguishes North Carolina?" 

"The fact- that it contains the great Dismal Swamp," answered 

Bennie. "Raleigh is the capital, and 

the coast was explored by Sir Walter 

tf^l^V Raleigh in 1584. The area is 48,580 

square miles, and it is bounded on the 
north by Virginia ; on the west by Teu- 
coat-of-arms of north Carolina, nessee ; ou the south by South Carolina 
and Georgia; and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean." 

"South Carolina is about the same, and the two States were one 
until about 1700," Katie went on. " Both 
of them should be counted with the first 
thirteen States. First permanent settle- 
ment was in 1670. The State motto 
means 'Read}' with Our Lives and Prop- 
erty.' Its area is 30,170 square miles, coat-of-arms of south Carolina. 
and the capital is Columbia. It is bounded on the north by North 
Carolina ; on the east by the Atlantic Ocean ; and on the south and west 
by Georgia." 

" Georgia next, and it was settled by Oglethorpe in 1732. Its area 

is 58,980 square miles, and its capital is 
Atlanta. It was one of the original 
thirteen States. Its boundaries are, on 
the north Tennessee and North Carolina; 
on the east South Carolina and the 
Atlantic Ocean ; on the south Florida, 
and on the west Florida and Alabama," added Jake. 
"What of Florida, Bessie ? " 
"It is noted for pineapples and 
oranges. Tallahassee is the capital, and 
the area is 58,680 square miles. St. 
Augustine, the oldest city in the United 
States, was founded in 1563, and the coat-of- arms of Florida, 




COAT-OF-ARMS OF GEORGIA. 




MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 



311 




COAT-OF-ARMS OF ALABAMA. 



State was admitted to the Union in 1845. It is bounded on the east by 
the Atlantic Ocean ; on the south and west by the Gulf of Mexico ; 
and on the north by Alabama and Georgia." 
" Very well. Marion, what of Alabama ? " 

"Its surface is rugged, its area is 51,540 square miles, its motto is, 
' Here we rest,' and its capital is Mont- 
gomery. The first settlement was in 
1702, and it was admitted to the Union 
in 1S19. It is bounded on the north by 
Tennessee and North Carolina ; on the 
east by Georgia ; on the south by Florida 
and the Gulf of Mexico ; and on the west by Mississippi. 

"The next State is Mississippi," said Phinney. " It is bounded on 

the north by Tennessee ; on the east 
by Alabama ; on the south by Louisiana 
and the Gulf of Mexico ; and on the 
§£^ west by Arkansas and Louisiana. Its 
area is 46,810, its capital is Jackson, 
coat-of-arms of Mississippi. it was explored by De Soto in 1539, and 

admitted to the Union in 1817." 

"I can tell you about Louisiana," declared Marcella. "It is bounded 
on the north by Arkansas and Mississippi; 
on the east by Mississippi ; on the south /; 
by the Gulf of Mexico ; and on the jj 
west by Texas. Its area is 45,420 square 
miles, it was explored by De Soto iu 
1 54 1, admitted to the Union in 18 12, and Baton Rouge is the capital. 
Motto is 'J ustice --'" 

"Charlie, you may begin with 
Arkansas." 

"It is bounded on the north by Mis- 

''' souri ; on the east by Tennessee and 

Mississippi ; on the south by Louisiana ; 





COAT-OF-ARMS OF LOUISIANA. 




312 



MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 




and on the west by Indian Territory and Texas. Area, 53,045 square miles, 

its capital is Little Rock, it was first settled by the French in 1670, and 

became one of the United States in 1838. Its motto is ' The people rule.' " 

"Missouri was admitted to the Union in 1821, but was settled and 

its rich lead mines worked in 1720," 

ipfc, Hadley began. "The capital is Jefferson 

City, and its area is 69,415 square miles. 

Salta It is bounded on the north by Iowa ; on 

3^ the east by Illinois, Kentucky, and 

coat-of-arms of Missouri. Tennessee ; on the south by Arkansas ; 

and on the west by Kansas, Nebraska and Indian Territory. Motto 

is ' The public safety is the supreme law.' " 

" What about Texas ? " 

"Texas is the largest State in the Union, covering 265,780 square 
miles," saidjosie. "The capital is Austin, 
it was explored by Spaniards as early as 
1583, the first white settlement was made 
by La Salle in 1585, and it was admitted Jjjp 
to the Union in 1845. It is called 'The JSE3 
lone star ' State. It is bounded on the coat-of-arms of texas. 

north by Oklahoma and Indian Territory ; southeast by the Gulf of 
Mexico ; east by Arkansas and Louisiana ; west by New Mexico ; and 
southwest by Mexico." 

" The great prairie of Iowa covers 55,475 square miles, and is mostly 
prairie land," Ray, continued. " It is a part of the Louisiana purchase, 

was not much settled by white men until 

after 1833, and was admitted to the Union 

in 1846. Des Moines is the capital, and 

the motto is ' Our liberties we prize, and 

our rights we will maintain.' It is 

coat-of-arms of iowa. bounded on the north by Minnesota ; east 

by Wisconsin and Illinois ; south by Missouri, west by Nebraska and 

South Dakota." 





MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 



313 





"What of Minnesota, Ruth?" 

"It is bounded on the north by the British possesions ; on the east 
by Lake Superior and Wisconsin ; on the 
south by Iowa ; and on the west by North 

and South Dakota. Its area is 83,365 ^^^^■■^^^4l^^;^j^/\'r; 
square miles, and its capital is St. Paul. 
Its motto is ' The Star of the North.' 
The first white visitor was Father Hen- coat-of-arms of Minnesota. 

nepin, a priest, in 1680, and it was admitted to the Union in 1858." 
" Go on, Bennie." 

"Kansas is bounded on the north by Nebraska ; on the east by 

Missouri ; on the south by Indian and 
Oklahoma Territories ; on the west by 
Colorado, and, geographically, it is the 
central state in the Union, to which it 
was admitted in 1861. Its capital is 
Topeka, its area is 82,080 square miles, 
it was purchased from the French in 1803, and opened for settlement 
in 1854. Its motto means 'Through rough 
ways to the stars.' " 

" What do you know about Nebraska, 
Katie?" 

"Its area is 77,510 square miles, its 
capital is Lincoln, and its boundaries are, coat-of-arms of Nebraska. 

north by South Dakota ; east by Iowa and Missouri ; south by Kansas 
and Colorado ; and west by Wyoming and Colorado. It was first visited 
by white men in 1541, but no settlements were made until 1847, and 
it was admitted to the Union iu 1867." 

" Tell us what you can of North 
Dakota, Jake." 

"It is bounded on the north by the 
British possessions ; on the east by Minne- 
sota ; on the south bv South Dakota ; and 

COAT-OF-ARMS OF NORTH DAKOTA. ^^ ' w 



COAT-OF-ARMS OF KANSAS. 





314 



MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 



mmmmm 




on the west by Montana. Its area is 70,795 square miles, and its 
capital is Bismark. It was first visited by fur companies. It was divided 
from South Dakota in 18S7, and became a State in 1889." 

"South Dakota is bounded on the north by North Dakota; on the 

east by Minnesota and Iowa ; on the 

south by Nebraska ; and on the west by 

Wyoming and Montana. Its area is 

|5» 77,650 square miles, and the capital is 



Pierre. It was not much thought of 
coat-of-arms of south dakota. until the discovery of gold in the Black 
Hills in 1874, but its growth and development since has been marvelous. 
It was admitted to the Union in 1889," continued Bessie. 
" Marion, you may tell what 3^011 can of Colorado. 1 ' 
"Its area is 103,645 square miles. 
Wyoming and Nebraska ; on the east by 
Nebraska and Kansas ; on the south by 
Oklahoma Territory and New Mexico; 
and on the west by Utah. Its capital 
is Denver, and it was admitted to the 
Union in 1876, being the thirty-eighth 
State. Its motto means 'Nothing without Divine aid.' " 

" What about Wyoming, Phinney ? " 
" The Black Hills are partly in that 
State. The area is 98,890 square miles. 
The capital is Cheyenne, and it became 
a State in 1890. It is bounded on the 
north by Montana ; on the east by South Dakota and Nebraska ; on the 
south by Colorado and Utah ; on the west by Utah, Idaho and, Montana." 

" Idaho is bounded on the north \M\I77 3jF& 
by British possessions ; on the east 



It is bounded on the north by 




COAT-OF-ARMS OF COLORADO. 




ZOAT-OF-ARMS OF WYOMING 




by Montana and Wyoming; on the south ^^SS^lBtej 

by Utah and Nevada; on the west by ^^^^^j^^^^^^S^S^^^-' 



Oregon and Washington," said Marcella. ^^^for 




MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 



315 



"Its area is 84,800 square miles, and its capital is Boise City. It was 
a part of Oregon until 1863, then was a territory, and included Montana, 
with a part of Wyoming. It was admitted to the Union in 1890." 

"How often my turn does come!" exclaimed Charlie. "Now I will 
tell you the little that I know about Montana. It is bounded by British 
America on the north ; by the Dakotas 




"Mr 



on the east ; by Utah and Wyoming on -rife"; 

the south ; and by Idaho on the west. It sfe: 

covers 146,080 square miles. Its capital % 

is Helena. The first settlers were hun- ^^ 

ters, trappers and missionaries. Its coat-ot-arms of Montana. 

growth began with the discovery of gold in 1861, and it was admitted 

to the Union in 1889. 

"Jake and Bessie forgot the motto of the Dakotas. It is 'Liberty 
and Union, One and Inseparable, Now and Forever.' And Marcella did 
not give that of Wyoming, which is ' Cedant Arma Togae,' which means 
' Let Military Authority Yield to the Civil Power.' I could not find 
all of the mottoes, but we want to hear about what were found, 
don't we?" 

"Nettie, you may go on with Utah." 

"It was acquired by the Mexican treaty of 1848, admitted to the 

Union in 1896, and is noted as having been 

the home of the Mormons. Its area is 

: 84,970 square miles, and its capital is Salt 

I Lake City. It is bounded on the north by 

Idado and Wyoming ; on the east by Colo- 

coat-of-arms of utah. ra d j on the northeast by Wyoming ; on 

the south by Arizona ; and on the west by Nevada." 

"Nevada next," said Hadley. "It 
was a part of the territory gotten from 
Mexico, and was admitted to the Union 



in 1864. Its area is 110,700 square 
miles, and its capital is Carson City. It 




s^fc'l 




COAT-OF-ARMS OF NEVADA, 



316 



MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 




COAT-OF-ARMS OF CALIFORNIA. 



is bounded on the north by Oregon and Idaho ; on the east by Utah 
and Arizona ; and on the south and west by California. Its motto is 'All 
for our Country.' It is noted for its silver mines." 
"For what is California noted ? " 

"For gold mines," answered Josie. "It is bounded on the north by 

Oregon ; on the east b}^ Nevada and 
Arizona ; on the south by Mexico ; and 
on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Its 
area is 158,360 square miles, and its 
capital is Sacramento. It was first dis- 
covered by an expedition sent out by 
Cortes in 1534, and was practically ruled by the Jesuit missions until 
1848, when it was ceded to the United States, and was admitted as a State 
in 1850. Its motto is ' Eureka.' " 
"What about Oregon, Ray?" 
"It is bounded on the north by ?J^fe 
Washington ; on the east by Idado ; on jj 
the south by Nevada and California ; and 

on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Its coat-of-arms of Oregon. 

area is 96,030 square miles, its capital is Salem, and its motto means 
'She flies with her own wings.' It was admitted to the Union as a State 
in 1859." 

"Ruth, tell me what you can about Washington." 
"It is bounded on the north by British Columbia ; on the east by 

Idaho ; on the south by Oregon ; and on 
the west by the Pacific Ocean. Its area 
is 69,180 square miles, and its capital is 
Olympia. San Juan de Fuca entered 
Puget Sound in 1502, and the Hudson 
Bay Company had trading posts there 
for many years. It was admitted as a State in 1889. Its motto is l Al Ki,' 
meaning 'By and by.' " 

"We would like to hear about Indian Territory, Bennie." 





COAT-OF-ARMS OF WASHINGTON. 



MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 317 

"It is a reservation for Indian tribes, and covers 31,400 square miles. 
It is bounded on the north by Kansas ; on the east by Missouri and 
Arkansas; on the south by Texas; and on the west by Oklahoma Territory. 
It has about 1266 miles of railroads, government schools, churches aud 
. missions, and seventy-seven newspapers, five of which are dailies, and 
some published in Indian dialect. It was a part of the Louisiana 
purchase." 

"What can you say about New Mexico, Katie ?" 
" New Mexico is bounded on the north by Colorado ; on the east by 
Oklahoma and Texas ; on the south by Texas and Mexico ; and on the 
west by Arizona. Its motto means 'It increases by going.' Santa Fe 
is the capital, and its area is 122,580 square miles. It was first visited 
by Spaniards in 1537, and belonged to Spain until ceded to the United 
States in 1848. It was organized as a territory in 1850." 

ONCE A PART OF INDIAN TERRITORY. 

" Oklahoma was originally a part of Indian Territory," declared 
Jake. " Its area is 39,030 square miles, and its capital is Guthrie. It 
is bounded on the north by Kansas and Colorado ; on the east by Indian 
Territory ; on the south by Texas ; and on the west by Texas and New 
Mexico. Since it was opened for settlement its population has increased 
rapidly. The city of Guthrie, with 10,000, was built in half a day !" 

" Now I know you are joking ! How could it be ?" cried Bessie. 

"Couldn't they put up tents, and build houses afterward?" laughed 
Marion. 

"Now we will hear about Arizona, Phinney." 

"It is bounded on the north by Utah ; on the east by New Mexico; 
on the south by Mexico ; and on the west by California and Nevada. 
Its area is 113,020 square miles, and its capital is Phoenix. It was vis- 
ited by Spanish exploring parties as early as 1526, and was purchased 
from Mexico in 1846, and it became a territory in 1S63." 

" There is a great National Park out West somewhere. I would like 
to know where and what it is, Marcella," smiled Mamma Nelson. 



318 MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 

" It is the Yellowstone National Park," was the quick reply. " It 
was set apart by Congress in 1872 as a 'public park for the benefit and 
enjoyment of the people.' It is mostly in Wyoming, a small portion 
being in Montana. It is sixty-five miles long and fifty-five miles wide. 
It has picturesque scenery, interesting mountains, hot springs, geysers, 
beautiful lakes and silvery cataracts." 

" I am going out there with a camera !" cried Bennie. 

THE FAR-FAMED YELLOWSTONE PARK. 

" What more can you tell us about this park ? " 

Bennie looked confident, and as if he were thoroughly posted on 
that subject as he began his description. 

" I have heard it said that the Yellowstone Park is situated on what 
is called the Great Divide. Its pine-clad mountains form the gathering 
ground for the headwaters of large rivers flowing away to the Atlantic 
and Pacific Oceans. Rather a poetical description, did you say ? It may 
well be, for the region is remarkable for its scenery and its famous hot 
springs and geysers. The river has two falls about 15 miles below the 
lake, and the lower one is a magnificent cataract 330 feet in height. 
Then it passes through the Grand Canon, 20 miles, and receives Tower 
Creek, which itself has leaped out of the deep and gloomy canon known 
as Devil's Den, over a beautiful fall about 156 feet. 

"Near the river are many of the hot springs, those of White Moun- 
tain, near the northern boundary of the park, extending for 1,000 feet 
up the sloping side, and their snow-white deposits standing like a series 
of great frozen cascades. Semi-circular basins, in which the water 
gathers in pools, and from one to another of which it flows over, are 
bright with tracery of scarlet, yellow, orange and green on the white 
groundwork." 

" Must be very beautiful !" 

"Yes, and a few miles from Sulphur Mountain, with its vapors 
rising from fissures and craters, is the active Mud Volcano, with a crater 
25 feet in diameter. All the hot springs of the park number nearly ten 



MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 319 

thousand. But the most singular feature of the region is its geysers, 
said to be the most magnificent in the world. I have read that these are 
found principally on the Firehole River, a fork of the Madison, at the 
western end of Shoshone Lake, and in the Norris basin to the north. 
The region was visited and described by surveyors in 1869, and explored 
and mapped in 1S71. In 1872, Congress dedicated and set it apart as 'a 
public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the 
people.' This is what I know about the Yellowstone- 

" Oh yes ; at the same time Congress provided against the wanton 
destruction of fish and game, either their capture or destruction for mer- 
chandise or profit, and as a happy result of what Congress did there 
were at one time several hundred bisons, and I think there are now some 
thousands of elk, antelopes, Rocky Mountain sheep, etc." 

MOTTOES OF THE UNITED STATES. 

" We have all forgotten to tell the mottoes of the United States 
and of the District of Columbia," said Charlie. "One is 'E pluribus 
unum,' meaning, ' Many in one. The other is ' Justia omnibus.' " 

"There ! We are through with the history of the United States," 
sighed Nettie. "I am glad and sorry — are you?" 

"I think that we are hardly through," smiled Mamma Nelson. 
" There are a few general questions that I want to ask you. Take the 
last atlas from the bookcase, Nettie, and tell me how many miles it is 
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, then from the Great Lakes to the Gulf 
of Mexico." 

" From the Atlantic to the Pacific, at the widest point is about 2768 
miles, and from the Lakes to the Gulf is 1651 miles," she read aloud. 

"What was the estimated population at the time of the Revolution, 
and what was the latest estimate by that atlas?" 

" It was less than three million at the time of the Revolution," 
answered Hadley. " And at the beginning of the year 1900 it was 
seventy-five millions." 

" Can you find the annual product of gold and silver, Josie ?" 



320 MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 

" Gold, $39,000,000 ; silver, $75,000,000. California leads in gold 

and Colorado in silver," was the ready answer. 

" What can you tell ns about the industries, Ray?" 

" The New England States, especially, are noted for their fine water 

power, and therefore for manufactures. Lumbering is extensively car 

ried on, the annual value of the sawed lumber being about twelve 

million of dollars. 

PRODUCTS OF THE MIDDLE STATES. 

"The Middle States add mining to their manufacturing, and pro- 
duce quantities of coal and iron," continued Ruth. " New York's 
import and export trade is nearly sixty per cent, of the commerce of the 
country." 

"The South Atlantic and Gulf States are noted for the culture of 
cotton, tobacco and rice, while Florida is proud of her orange industry," 
said Bennie. 

"Well, what of the Western States and Territories ?" 

" Oh, they have almost everything out West — it is a big place. 
They have big farms, where the work is all done by machinery ; they 
have stock ranches ; they have gold and silver mines , they have coal 
and salt mines ; oil wells — I cannot begin to tell you all. These United 
States of ours are a wonderful country to live in. My father says no 
foreign power could ever beat us in war for we could raise and manu- 
facture everything that we need, and starve them out, or make them 
beggars ! " exclaimed Katie. 

"It is well to have full faith in our land, but I hope that time of 
trial will never come," said Mamma Nelson gently. " I suppose 
some vessels are owned here, without counting those in the navy, I 
mean." 

" I should think so ! " cried Jake. " There are over twenty thousand 
vessels of all kinds." 

"When I was a child I lived in northern Maine, three 'stage days' 
beyond Bangor, where the railway line stopped. And in the time of the 



MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 321 

Revolution members of the Continental Congress had to go to Philadel- 
phia with horses. How would they travel now ?" 

"How?" asked Phinney in astonishment. "Why, they would go 
on the flying express, and get there in no time ! Nearly every State is 
now covered with a network of railroads. In 1830 there were only twenty 
miles of rails in the United States, but now there is estimated to be over 
250,000 miles. And that does not include electric roads !" 

TO BECOME THE GREATEST NATION OF THE WORLD. 

"Didn't I tell you that the United States was a wonderful country, 
and are you not glad, every one of you, that you live in it? I am !" 
cried Katie eagerly. 

"And it will keep on growing, until it is the first nation on earth !" 
asserted Bessie. 

"It is now," declared Marion loyally. 

"And now," began Mamma Nelson, "you may close your books. 
We have completed the outline history of the United States, yet there is 
much more to be learned by study. I want you to read again what we 
have been over and — " 

"We are sure of the library ! " interrupted Marcella. 

"I hope so," was the encouraging answer. "Only do as well as you 
have with your daily study, and I feel that you will stand a fair chance 
of succeeding. Now about the Concord Club. Miss Whyte will be my 
guest, of course, and there are just as many of them as there are of you, 
so it would be a more hospitable plan for each of you to entertain one of 
the guests. The general meetings can be here, and it will be more 
homelike for them than a hotel." 

"Just the thing !" was the unanimous chorus, and the way in which 
the program was carried out would make a story in itself. Cecil Law- 
rence expressed the sentiment of them all when he said at parting, after 
the library was lost and won : — 

"It may have been a chance 'happen,' but wasn't it a good one when we 

all went to Plymouth the same day ? We shall never forget it, I know." 

21 



322 MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 

The long-wished for, long-dreaded day came at last, as days, good 
and bad, always do come to ns. Mr. Harland was to hold his examina- 
tion in the Town Hall, with Judge Fairbain and Judge King as assist- 
ants. All the parents and friends of the two classes were invited, as 
well as the members of the town schools. The Concord Club were 
given a place of honor at the right of the crowded platform. 

MENTAL REVIEW OF HISTORY. 

"Just where we can nod at you, and brace you up if you try to fail, 
but you will not do it ! You are going to win I" whispered Hazel to 
Bessie, with a comforting squeeze of her hand. 

The South End Class, each and ever}?- one, were excited and ner- 
vous, anxiously making a mental review of the history which they had 
learned. 

The North End Class chatted with the Concord Club until the last 
moment, then took their places upon the platform, returning Mamma Nel- 
son's encouraging nod with a seeming confidence which they did not feel. 

But, when Mr. Harland, the great man of the town, began his cate- 
chism, they forgot what depended upon their answers, forgot the audience 
waiting to give judgment ; forgot everything except the fact that they 
were telling the simple story of our Nation, and they followed it clearly 
to the end. 

"It was just as if we were in Mamma Nelson's cosy room !" cried 
Katie in genuine surprise, in speaking of it afterwards. 

" And every time we looked up she would smile and look so pleased !" 
added Bennie. 

"That we couldn't fail !" concluded Phinney decidedly. 

The South End class did well too, and, if the exact words which 
they had studied were repeated, no one but the judges knew it. Ques- 
tions were answered almost as soon as asked, and, at last the examination 
was over. Then both classes waited breathlessly, watching, and wonder- 
ing why Mr. Harland was so long in counting up the score, then he 
consulted the judges, and came forward. 



MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 323 

"I guess you might have heard a piu drop easily enough then I" 
Charlie told Papa Nelson that night. 

"I felt as if I couldn't wait, and yet I didn't want to hear what he 
was going to say," added Jake. 

" What should we have done if we had failed?" groaned Nettie. 

"Just what other people do, my child — make the best of it," replied 

Papa Nelson. 

MR. HARLAND MAKES A SPEECH. 

Mr. Harland paused at the front of the platform, then turned and 
looked at each class in silence for a second. 

" When a man offers a prize," he began slowly, "he is pretty sure 
to get himself into a place which he will wish himself out of when the 
time comes to make a decision. That is the case with me to-day. Both 
classes have done thorough work, and at least twenty-eight young people 
of this town know much more of the history of their country than they 
did when the prize was offered. 

" Yet one condition was that the history was to be given in the 
words of the scholar and not in those of the book, and, by that condition, 
the library belongs fairly to the North End class, which has given us 
such proof of a thorough understanding of the subjects which it has 
studied. Still, so great is their appreciation of the work which the South 
End class has done, the judges have suggested that a second prize be 
given, as both schools certainly need a historical library, and it would 
please me to give them one. 

"Do not misunderstand me. The second prize is for faithful 
endeavor ; the first was fairly won under the conditions of the contest. 
And both libraries will be delivered whenever a place is prepared to 
receive them.' 

The great man took his seat, and, as soon as the applause had 
subsided, Charlie stepped forward and thanked him in behalf of the 
North End History Club, the class standing as he did so. That was the 
excuse for another " three times three," which was begun by the Con- 
cord Club, and ended with a decided "tiger. " 



324 MOTTOES OF THE STATES. 

So ended a prize contest which brought only good to the contestants, 
for jealousy and disappointment were banished by the generosity of the 
second prize. 

The North End class went to Mamma Nelson's after accompanying 
the Concord Club to the station. 

"And so it is all over !" sighed Katie. 

" Why can't we go on with something? " asked Bennie. 

"There are so many tilings t) learn — history of other lands, of the 
races of men, of the stars, of the sea, of natural history. Can't we go on, 
Mamma Nelson ?" questioned Phinney. 

"Vacation first," smiled Mamma Nelson. "You have earned it, 
and young people should have play as well as work. Then — we will see." 



BOOK II. 
MANNERS, HABITS, CUSTOMS AND TRAITS 

OF THE 

INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH 

AMERICA. 




T is a remarkable fact, and indisputably established as true, 
that all the Indian tribes of the Great Western Plains for- 
merly obtained the materials for their pipes from a single 
quarry ; and that the ground comprised in and immediately 
around this mine, resembled that set apart for the Olympic 
games of the Greeks, in that, while encamped on it, the most inviolable 
peace prevailed between all hostile tribes. Like the plain of Olympia, it 
was sacred ground and consecrated by deep religious mysteries. 

The position of the Pipe Stone Quarry is in a direction nearly west 
from the Falls of St. Anthony, at a distance of three hundred miles, on 
the summit of the ridge dividing the St Peter's and the Missouri Rivers. 
The name of the ridge is Coteau des Prairies, and the quarry is situated 
near its southern extremity. Around on every side, the level and bound- 
less prairies stretch far away, growing blue in the distance. Their hard 
and smooth surface is covered with a green turf of grass only three or 
four inches in height. 

The principal feature of the place is a perpendicular wall of close 
grained, compact quartz, twenty-five or thirty feet high, and running for 
two miles nearly north and south, with its face to the west. This beau, 
tiful structure is horizontal, and stratified in several layers of grey and 
rose-colored quartz ; both on its front face and over several acres of its 
surface, it is highly polished or glazed, as if by heat. 

At the foot of the wall, and running parallel with it is a level 

325 



326 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

prairie, half a mile in width, and in all parts of which the material for the 
pipes is obtained by digging to the depth of four or five feet through the 
soil and several slaty layers of red stone. The excavations give evidence 
that the place has been resorted to by the Indians for centuries ; and vast 
numbers of graves and fortifications are found near it. That the layer 
of pipe stone varies in thickness can be seen from an examination ot 
these cavities. 

At the base of the wall, and at the distance of a few rods from it on 
the ground where the pipe stone is dug, rests a group of five stupendous 
holders of gneiss. They are composed chiefly of feldspar and mica, and 
are everywhere covered with grey moss. It is under these blocks that 
the two holes are seen, in which, according to the Indian legend, the two 
old women — guardian spirits of the place — reside, of which, more anon. 
The Indians hold these rocks in such superstitious veneration that for 
several rods around them the grass is unbent and untrod. They humbly 
stand at that distance, throw plugs of tobacco and beg permission to dig 
the red stone for their pipes. 

TRADITIONS CONNECTED WITH THE QUARRY. 

Deeply engraved on the quartz rocks are thousands of representa. 
tions of the totems, or arms, of the tribes who have visited the place for 
ages past. 

There are many traditions connected with this quarry. A Knisten- 
eaux Indian once related the following : " In the time of a great 
freshet, that took place many centuries ago and destroyed all the nations 
of the earth, all the tribes of the red men assembled on the Coteau des 
Prairies to get out of the way of the waters. 

"After they had gathered here from all parts the water continued 
to rise until at length it covered them in a mass, and their flesh was 
converted into red pipe stone. Therefore it had always been considered 
neutral ground — it belonged to all tribes alike ; and they were permitted 
to get the stone and smoke from its pipes. 

" While they were all drowning in a mass a young woman, K-wap- 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 327 

tak-n (a virgin) caught hold of the foot of a very large bird that was 
flying over and was carried to a high cliff not far off, the top of which 
was above the waters. Here she gave birth to twins whose father was 
the war eagle, and who have since peopled the earth. The pipe stone, 
which is the flesh of their common ancestors, is smoked by them as the 
symbol of peace, and the eagle's quill decorates the head of the brave." 

The tradition of the Upper Missouri Sioux is as follows : "Before 
the creation of man, the Great Spirit (whose footsteps on the stones at 
the Red Pipe are yet to be seen in the form of the tracks of a large 
bird) used to slay the buffaloes and eat them on the ledge of the red 
rocks on the top of the Coteau des Prairies ; and their blood running on 
to the rocks turned them red. 

A REMARKABLE SERPENT. 

"One day, when a large snake had crawled into the nest of the Great 
Bird-Spirit to eat his eggs, one of the eggs hatched out in a clap of 
thunder, and the Great Spirit, grasping a piece of the pipe stone to 
throw at the snake, moulded it into a man, whose feet grew fast in 
the ground where he stood for many ages, like a great tree, therefore he 
advanced to a very great age, was much older than a hundred men at 
the present day. 

" At length another tree grew up by the side of him, when a large 
snake ate them both off at the roots and they wandered off together ; 
from these have sprung all the people that now inhabit the earth." 

The Sioux of the Upper Mississippi have still another strange 
tradition. They say that " many years after the red men were made, 
when all the different tribes were at war, the Great Spirit sent runners 
and called them all together at the Red Pipe. He stood on the top of 
the rocks and the red people were assembled in infinite numbers on the 
plains below. 

" He took out of the rock a piece of the red stone, made a large 
pipe, smoked it over them all, and told them that it was a part of their 
flesh ; that, though they were at war, they must meet at this place as 



328 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

friends ; that it belongs to them all ; that they must make their calumets 
from it and smoke them to him whenever they wished to appease him 
or gain his good will. 

" Then the smoke from his great pipe enveloped them, and he 
disappeared in its cloud. At the last whiff, a blaze of fire rolled over 
the rocks and melted their surface ; at this moment two squaws went in 
a flame under the two medicine rocks, where they still remain, and must 
be consulted and propitiated whenever the pipe stone is to be taken 
away." 

A part of the quartz wall which has become separated from the rest — 
forming a column seven feet in diameter and thirty-five feet in height — 
is called medicine rock, or leaping rock. It is seven or eight feet 
distant from the main wall ; and it is considered "good medicine," or a 
preservative charm, to have leaped upon the summit of this column 
from the main wall. The undertaking is hazardous, and many brave 
warriors have missed their footing on its polished surface and been 
dashed to pieces on the rocks below. Those who are successful are 
allowed to boast of the feat all their lives. They pinion their arrow in 
the rock to serve as ocular proof of the achievement. 

THE FLAT-HEAD INDIANS, OR CHINOOKS. 

The lower parts of the Columbia River are, or were, inhabited by a 
small tribe called the Chinooks, who are almost the only people known 
who have the strange custom of flattening the head. The Nez Perces, 
formerly inhabiting the region around the upper waters of the Columbia 
River, are a part of this tribe, though they do not, like them, observe the 
custom just referred to. This process takes place during infancy, and 
may be performed in two ways. 

In one, the papoose is placed ou a thick board, to which it is lashed 
with heavy thongs ; the back of the head is supported by a pillow made 
of moss or rabbits' skins. On the forehead of the child an inclined 
board is placed and securely fastened behind the head to the lower 
plank ; at the other extremity, near the feet, it is also united to the same 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 329 

plank by a cord. This latter fastening is each day drawn a little tighter 
until at length the upper board touches the nose, and the entire forehead 
has been annihilated, as it were, or pushed back into the head. 

It is probable that this process is not attended with much 
pain, as in infancy the bones are soft and cartilaginous, and 
easily pressed into any shape desired. At the top, these flattened 
heads have a width of one and a-half in the natural shape. All 
investigations show that there is no loss of intellectual power in 
those who are thus deformed. 

The other process, which is sometimes employed, is described as 
follows : A little crib or cradle is made' out of a log of wood, with a 
cavity large enough to admit the body and the head of the child, giving 
it room to expand in width. At the head of the crib is a sort of lever 
with an elastic spring that presses upon the forehead of the infant. 

HOW THE HEAD IS FLATTENED. 

The child is wrapped in rabbit skins and placed in this little coffin- 
like cradle. The bandages over and about the lower limbs and as high 
as the breast, are loose, and frequently removed when the child is to be 
washed or otherwise taken care of. But the head and shoulders are 
never moved. When it requires sustenance the lever is lifted, which 
brings the infant near to its mother's breast while the head still 
remains unmoved. The process of flattening requires three, five or 
eight weeks, until the bones are able to retain the shape which 
has been given them. 

The little cradle is furnished with a strap which passes over the 
mother's forehead when she carries it on her back. If the babe dies 
during the process, the cradle becomes its coffin, forming a little canoe 
in which it lies floating on the water in some sacred pool, for it is the 
custom of the Chinooks often to dispose of the dead, old and young, in 
this manner, in the belief that their journey to the happy hunting 
grounds is to be performed in canoes. 

When they elevate the bodies into trees they place them in these 



330 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

boats and give them paddles to propel, ladles to bail them out, provisions 
to eat and pipes to smoke during their long pilgrimage. 

No reason can be assigned for this strange custom of flattening the 
head. It is a remarkable fact that two other tribes, the Choctaws and 
the Chickasaws, widely separated from the Chinooks, formerly followed 
the same practice, which circumstances would seem to point to a com- 
mon origin between the three tribes. 

BOWS AND ARROWS. 

Of all the Indians in the West, the Sioux and Crows use bows the 
least. That used by the former is generally four feet long, one and a 
half inches wide, and an inch thick at the middle. It tapers from the 
centre or " grasp" toward the ends, and is but half an inch wide and half 
an inch thick at the extremities. At one end, the bow-string is notched 
into the wood and made fast, while at the other end two notches are cut 
and the string made into a slip knot. 

The kinds of wood generally used in the manufacture of these bows 
are ash, hickory, iron-wood, elm, cedar and Osage orange, the latter 
being regarded as the best by the Cheyennes. As no hickory grows 
west of the Missouri, it is difficult to obtain, and an Indian will always 
pay a high price for a piece of it. All of the woods of which the bow is 
made, except the cedar, must be seasoned. 

Every tepee has its bow-wood hung up with the arrows in the smoke 
out of reach of the flame. Generally, the warrior has several in various 
stages of completion. It takes from three days to one month to make a 
fancy bow, and, when finished it is worth three dollars in trade. 

The white man, to properly bend a bow, must first acquire a knowl- 
edge of the Indian sleight of hand in this art, it being not a matter of 
strength so much as a peculiar dexterity in manipulating. The force 
with which an arrow can be shot is something remarkable as may be 
seen from the fact that it is possible to send one entirely through the 
body of a buffalo, when the same cannot be accomplished with a bullet 
from a Colt's revolver. I have seen a bow throw an arrow five hundred 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 331 

yards, and have myself often discharged one through a board one inch 
thick. Upon one occasion I found a man's skull transfixed to a tree by 
an arrow. The man had probably been tied to the tree and shot. 

The bows of the Sioux and the Cheyennes are generally strength- 
ened on the back by a layer of sinews glued to the wood. This tendon, 
as well as the bow-string, is taken from near the spine of the buffalo ; 
it begins at the hump and extends along the spinal column to the tail, 
being about six feet in length. The surface of the bow is made perfectly 
flat and then roughened with a file or stone, the sinew (which is doubled 
at the ends and middle of the bow) being dipped in hot glue and laid on 
the wood. 

The sinew-spring is attached while green, then twisted and allowed 
to dry on the bow. The entire outside of the wood and tendon is now 
covered with a thick solution of glue, and the weapon is finished. 
Roughened bows lesemble hickory limbs with the bark on, but some of 
them are beautifully painted and ornamented. 

BOWS MADE OF ELK HORNS. 

The Crows make their bows out of elk-horn by taking a prong and 
sawing off a slice from each side. These slices are then filed or rubbed 
down until the flat sides fit nicely together, when they are glued and 
wrapped at the ends. Four of these pieces glued together make a jointed 
bow. An extra piece is laid on at the " grasp," where it is cemented 
fast. The whole is then filed down until it is perfectly proportioned, and 
then the white bone is ornamented, carved and painted. The construc- 
tion of one of these marvelously beautiful instruments requires about 
three months, and the Indians rarely sell them. I succeeded in obtain- 
ing one from a friend for thirty dollars in gold. 

In travelling, the bow is carried in a sheath attached to the quiver, 
and the whole is slung to the back by a belt of elk or buckskin, which 
passes diagonally across the breast and is fastened to the ends of the 
quiver, which, with the bow-sheath, are generally made up of the skin 
of some wild animal, the hide being tanned with the hair on. 



332 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

The quiver is ornamented with fringe of buckskin and tassels, and 
the belt across the breast is painted or worked with beads. Each Indian 
has his sign or name on his belt, bow, sheath or quiver. It is said that 
the Sioux chief, Spotted Tail, gained his name from the circumstance 
that his quiver was made from the skin of a spotted ox, and he had left 
the tail of the animal to dangle from his sheath. Others obtained 
his name from a coon's skin which he is said to have worn on 
his head. 

To shoot with the bow properly, it must be held firmly in three 
fingers of the right hand ; the arrow is fixed on the bow-string with the 
thumb and forefinger of the left hand, and the other three fingers are 
used to pull the string. The shaft of the arrow lies between the thumb 
and forefinger of the right hand, which rests over the grasp of the bow. 
In order to shoot properly, the bow must be turned slightly, so that one 
end is higher than the other ; and the arrow is then launched. 

HOW INDIAN ARROWS ARE MADE. 

Let us now consider the Indian arrow. The shoots must be cut 
when the summer's growth is ended, because then the wood has begun 
to harden. They must, of course, be straight and smoo.th. The rods, 
after being cut, are sorted and tied in bundles of from twenty to twenty- 
five ; they are two or two and one-half feet in length, and wrapped 
tightly with raw hids or elk skin. The sticks are then hung over the 
fire in the wigwam to dry, the wrappings of hide-strings keeping them 
from bending or warping. Several weeks are required to season them, 
and they are then taken down and the bark scraped off. 

The wood is very tough, thin and of a yellowish color. The next 
process is to cut the arrow-shafts exactly one length, and in this great 
care must be exercised, for arrows of different lengths would fly at 
different rates of speed and thus destroy the hunter's aim. Another 
important reason for this accuracy is for the purpose of identifying 
them, as no two warriors shoot arrows of precisely the same length. 
Kach Indian carries a measuring stick for comparison. Should they, 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 333 

by chance, be of the same length as another's, there still remains the 
private work of each brave, either in the shaft, the head or the feather. 

The shafts being made of a length, the arrow is next notched, then 
scraped and tapered toward the cut, a round head an inch long being 
left near the indentation, both to prevent the string from splitting the 
shaft and to afford a grasp for the fingers. The creasing next occurs, 
and consists of zigzag lines or little gutters made in the shaft by an 
arrow-head and running lengthwise ; they are for the purpose of allow- 
ing the blood to run out when an animal is shot and the arrow remains 
in the wound. 

Most arrow-heads are now made of steel, and are either made by 
the Indians themselves, out of old hoop-iron and the like, or are received 
in barter from the traders. There are firms in the Eastern States that 
manufacture hundreds of thousands of them and send them West. 

METHOD OF INSERTING THE ARROW-HEAD. 

When the shaft is ready for the head, a slit is sawed in the end 
with a nicked knife, and the stem of the arrow-head is inserted. Buffalo, 
deer or elk sinew is then softened in water and the wood is wrapped 
firmly to the head of the arrow, care being taken to wrap the tendon in 
the nicks of the stem to prevent slipping. 

The next process is the feathering, which requires great care. 
Turkey or eagle quills are soaked in warm water to make them split 
easily and uniformly ; the feather is then stripped from the quill and 
put on the shaft of the arrow, three on each, and laid equi-distant along 
the stem. 

The large end of the feather is fastened near the notch of the shaft, 
and laid six or eight inches straight along the wood ; it is then glued to 
the shaft and wrapped at each end with fine sinew. The arrow is next 
painted, marked, dried, and is ready for use. A single one requires a 
day's labor. 

Steel arrow-heads are put up in packages of a dozen each. They 
cost the trader six cents a package, and are sold to the Indians at 



334 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

enormous profits, as they are ignorant of their value. If gewgaws and 
trinkets are new and striking they will pay a thousand times their 
worth. For six cents' worth of arrow-heads they will give a buffalo robe 
worth eight or nine dollars. They will then frequently sell them back 
to the trader for about ten cents, or in exchange for goods. 

War arrows are made in the same manner as those for game, except 
that in the former the head is loosely fastened so as to come off in the 
wound. The shaft, when pulled at, is extracted, the barbs catch, and 
leave the head in the wound. Some arrows have but one barb which, 
when the shaft is pulled, catches in the flesh and turns the head cross- 
wise in the wound, from which it is impossible to remove it. 

TIPPED WITH DEADLY POISON. 

Poisoned arrows are now used by very few Indian tribes. They are 
prepared in the following manner : A large, bloated, yellow rattlesnake 
is caught and its head held fast by a forked stick. It is then tickled 
by passing a switch along its body. Its rage is now terrible ; its eyes 
grow bright as diamonds ; it hisses ; rattles its tail, and threshes the 
ground furiously. A deer is then killed and the hot liver held before the 
snake, the stick having been removed from its neck. Instantly it strikes 
the liver again and again until it is tired. 

When about to move away, the stick is again placed over its neck ; 
it is again tickled, and the proceeding continued as long as the snake 
can be made to strike. It is then killed, and the liver carried away on 
a pointed stick. Soon it becomes sour and black. Arrows are now 
thrust into it, left there for half an hour and then laid in the sun to dry. 
A thin, glistening, yellow scum is then seen on the point, to touch 
which is certain death. 

The few Indians who ever use these arrows carry them in rattle- 
snake skins and have them very plainly marked. Still, mistakes will 
occur, and the children, horses and dogs are accidentally poisoned ; so 
that of late they have passed into almost complete disuse by all the 
Indians of the plains. 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 335 

The savages use prepared arrows as signal lights on the plains. 
They remove the head of the arrow and dip the shaft in gunpowder 
mixed with glue, which adheres to the wood and coats it three or four 
inches from its end to the depth of one-fourth of an inch. Chewed bark 
mixed with dry gunpowder is then fastened to the top of the shaft and 
it is ready for use. When one is to be fired, a warrior places it on his 
bow-string and draws the bow ; another applies fire to it, and it is at once 
shot into the air ; when, after rising a short distance, it bursts into a bright 
flame and burns until it falls to the ground. Various meanings are 
attached to these signals : Among the Santees, one arrow meant " the 
enemy is near" ; two, signified "great danger"; two sent up at one 
time, "we will attack" ; etc. 

USE MANY KINDS OF WEAPONS. 

Bach tribe has its own peculiar make ; and in former days hunters 
and settlers could, with a knowledge of this fact, tell to what band the 
Indians who attacked them belonged. But this is now no longer possible, 
since many of the savages trade their weapons and others pick up and 
use all they can find. 

The making of flint arrow-heads by Indians who possessed no iron 
tools has always seemed to civilized people an almost incredible thing. 
Many archaeologists and scientific men have tried in vain to produce 
them. Indeed, the savages have always endeavored to keep the process 
a profound secret ; and it is only a few adepts m each tribe who are 
allowed, or who are able, to manufacture the flint and obsidian arrow- 
heads. 

The Apaches make them in the following manner. Erratic boulders 
of flint are collected and broken with a kind of sledge hammer made of a 
rounded boulder of horn stone set in a twisted withe, which holds the 
stone and forms a handle. This sledge breaks the flint into a hundred 
pieces, and such flakes are selected as, from the angle of their fracture, and 
their thickness, will best serve the purpose for which they are intended. 

The master workman, seated on the ground, lays one of the flakes 



336 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

on the palm of the left hand, holding it firmly down with two or more 
fingers of the same hand, and with his right, between the thumb and two 
forefingers, places his chisel (or punch) on the point that is to be broken 
off. A fellow worker, sitting in front of him, strikes the punch with a 
mallet of very hard wood, chipping off such pieces as are necessary. 

The flake is then turned and the other side treated in the same man- 
ner. All the fractures are made on the palm of the hand, the yielding 
elasticity of which enables the chip to come off without breaking the 
rest of the flake, which would not be the case if it were placed on a hard 
substance. 

In the selection of these flakes nice judgment must be exercised 
or the attempt will be a failure. They must possess two opposite par- 
allel or nearly parallel planes of a thickness required for the centre of the 
arrow-point. The first chipping reaches almost to the centre of these 
planes (but without quite breaking it away) and each one is shorter and 
shorter until the shape and the edge of the arrow-head are formed. 

The punch (or chisel) used by the Apaches is made of the incisor 
tooth of the sperm whale, which is often stranded on the Pacific coast- 
It is about six or seven inches in length and one inch in diameter, with 
one rounded and two plane sides ; therefore, presenting one acute and 
two obtuse angles, to suit the points to be broken. 

The process is a very curious one and is accompanied with singing 
by both holder and striker, the strokes of the mallet keeping exact time 
with the music, and with a sharp and rebounding blow in which the 
Indians say, is the great mystery (or medicine) of the operation. 

STONE AXES, MALLETS, HOES AND VARIOUS UTENSILS. 

Indian axes are of three kinds — stone, bone and flint. The former 
is made from various kinds of river boulders ; and is first split into two 
parts each of which must have a flat side and a sharp edge ; the stone is 
now given shape. All except the edge is then covered with raw hide 
which is sewed tightly together with sinews, and which, when dry, 
becomes extremely hard. While the skin is still soft, a handle covered 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 337 

with raw hide, and having a long slip projecting, is laid on the flat side 
of the stone and sewed firmly to the covering of the axe. 

The slip is then wrapped around and sewed fast to the axe-head and 
handle ; the whole is wound with sinew and laid aside to dry , after 
which the axe is sharpened, either by filing or by rubbing upon sand- 
stone. This tool is easily broken, and can only be used for cutting soft 
wood and brush and for girdling trees. But as three or four of them 
can easily be made in a day, the loss is not great if one is broken. 

Flint axes are manufactured in the same manner. Those formed 
of the leg-bone or shoulder-blade of the buffalo are the best, although 
somewhat light. In the spring of the year a young sapling is sawed off 
near a knot, and these bones, being split in two, are inserted in the 
stump and left to grow fast. In the fall, the sappling is cut off of a 
length sufficient to make a handle ; after trimming down, the axe is cov- 
ered with hide and ground, when it is ready for use. 

The large stone mallets which the Indians use for driving tent pins 
and stakes are made of a round stone in the side of which a trench or 
gutter is picked ; the handle is placed in this groove and bound there. 
The end of the stone is afterward ground off flat. 

The Indian file is a very curious implement. The pith of a strong 

elderberry stick is scraped out, and the cavity filled with a cement of 

glue and powdered flint, which, when dry, forms the teeth of the file or 

rasp. If the tool becomes dull it is soaked in hot water, when the used 

particles of flint drop out ; the elder stick is pared down, and the file is 

as good as new. It is used to smooth their axe-handles and tepee-poles, 

and also to trim down the ponies' hoofs when they become long or 

splintered. 

INDIAN LODGES. 

Each tribe of Indians builds its lodges differently. The Winne- 
bagoes live in huts made of the bark of trees and resembling an 
inverted tea-cup. Those of the Pawnees are the same in shape, but 
constructed of mud, sod or adobes. The Santee lodges are tall, conical 
tents, formerly formed of buffalo hides tanned, with the hair off, and 
22 



33 5 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

stretched around twelve poles, which are tied together at the top and set 
about three feet apart at the bottom around a circle of one hundred and 
eight feet. 

The lodge, when finished, is thirty-six feet in diameter at the ground. 
The skin, or covering, is cut bias, the small end wrapped round and 
round the poles and finally fastened to the ground with a wooden pin or 
stone. The poles are not set in the ground, but the edge of the lodge 
cover is pinned dowu with short pegs made of hard wood. An aperture 
is left at the top for the escape of smoke, and the fire is built beneath it 
in the centre of the tent. When the flap-door is open the fire draws 
well, the interior forming a sort of stove. 

Strange to say, these lodges will withstand the most violent wind 
and rain storms. I have seen them stand firm when immense trees were 
blown down. Many of them are painted with rude and grotesque pic- 
tures of horses, birds, turtles, deer, elk and other animals, in blue, red 

and black colors. 

CLOTHING WORN BY INDIANS. 

In former days, before the advent of civilization, the usual dress of an 
ordinary Indian male, or "buck," consisted, in summer, of breech-clout 
and moccasins ; in winter, the same, plus a buffalo robe. The girls wore 
the breech-clout until the age of puberty, when they donned a buckskin 
jacket without sleeves, and a skirt of the same reaching nearly to the 
knees. Old women and nurses did not wear the jacket. 

The breech-clout is still retained by many savages. It is formed by 
taking a strip of cloth six or eight feet long and four inches wide, one 
end of which is passed under a belt or string tied around the waist, while 
the other is drawn between the legs and under the belt behind ; the two 
ends hang down as flaps in front and rear. 

At the present time most Indians appear decked out in more 
or less of the garments of civilization. Some will wear only a 
stovepipe hat ; others only a vest. A shirt will last for several 
years, as it is never washed. In fact, the Indian will wear anything 
that he sees upon the white man except boots, and it is certainly 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 339 

much to his credit that he refuses to be burdened with these objection- 
able articles. 

The savages are their own shoemakers, the work being performed 
by the women and old men. The soles are cut out of raw hide, and the 
uppers are obtained from buck, antelope or elk skin tanned very soft and 
smooth ; the buckskin is preferable when the moccasin is to be orna- 
mented with beads, which work is always done before the upper is 
attached to the sole. A strong thread is used to unite the two parts, 
and sometimes an extra bottom is added to protect the thread. 

To the sides and back, flaps or ears are fastened which come well 
up on the ankles and are tied with strings. They are sometimes made 
to cover the calf of the leg, and are fastened at the top with two long 
strings. These are more adapted to hunting and performing long jour- 
neys, as the high tops both brace the ankle and keep the moccasin from 
slipping, as well as keep out the cold, snow, gravel and dust. 

HOW MOCCASINS ARE MADE. 

A squaw can cut out and sew up a plain pair of these shoes in half 
a day ; a pair ornamented with beads requires a week's work, while those 
interwoven with porcupine quills demand a month or more of patient 
labor. In the winter season the moccasins are made of buffalo hide, or 
the skins of the fur animals, with the hair turned inward. 

The pattern of the shoes differs in each tribe, and as they do not 
exchange or trade these as they do arrows, it is always easy for the 
initiated to distinguish, by a moccasin track, the tribe to which the 
wearer belongs. 

The head-dress is an indispensable article in the wardrobe of an 
Indian brave, and is worn upon all occasions of ceremony. It is a round 
skin skull cap, ornamented with eagle, crow or duck feathers, which are 
put on in rows or layers all lying one way. 

Fasten a dozen feathers by their middles to a piece of leather ; then 
break them so that both the top and butt ends will stand up, and put 
another bunch on beside it ; so continue until the piece of leather is 



340 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

covered. Next trim off the feathers evenly, leaving them about three 
inches long, and you will then have completed an Indian head-dress. 

The butts of the quills must be cut out so they will not show, 
but the better way is to take only the tops or small ends, cut them the 
right length and fasten them by the thick end to the cap. These, when 
trimmed a little, form a beautiful head covering. Almost all Indian 
head-dresses have along tail hanging down behind, which is ornamented 
with little bells and bright feathers ; at the end of the tail are tied tufts 
of hair, colored blue, red or yellow. 

One of the most common forms of this ornament is the buffalo-head, 
and consists of a piece of hide taken from across the forehead of the 
buffalo, extending over the top of his head and along the back of the neck 
and down the spine, including the tail, from which the bone is after- 
wards taken out and the interior stuffed. On each side of the head- 
piece are set buffalo horns, which are often also fastened along the strip 
hanging down the back. 

FANTASTIC HEAD-DRESSES. 

The head-dress of the Sioux chief, Standing Bull, was over six feet 
long and had twelve horns attached to it. As the entire horns would be 
very heavy, they are split from top to base, by sawing, and the thick 
part hollowed out, thus making them comparatively light. They are 
highly polished and set six or seven inches apart. In addition to these 
there are eight or ten bells and a great deal of bead-work. The tails are 
sometimes nine feet long, and I have seen attached to one of them four 
or five large sleigh-bells. 

When the wariors are en route to visit a friendly tribe, or are on the 
war path, they carry their head-dresses with them neatly done up in a 
cylindrical bandbox, made of buffalo skin or raw hide. These recep- 
tacles are highly ornamented and fancifully painted, and forcibly remind 
one of an old fashioned churn. 

To roll up an Indian head-dress and put it in the box in such a 
manner that the feathers will not be broken or in any way spoiled 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 341 

requires as much skill as to pack the wardrobe of a fashionable white 
lady. When traveling, the box or drum is strapped to the saddle behind 
the cantle. Before entering the village which they are to visit, the 
warriors dismount, dress, paint, and adorn themselves, then remount 
and continue their journey. 

Perhaps the most expensive covering for the head is that made of 
eagle feathers, especially those of the bald and great black eagles, which 
soar so high that it is very difficult to kill them. An Indian will never 
willingly sell one ; and under no circumstances will he part with one 
for less than two hundred dollars. 

It should be mentioned that the women and chiefs of many tribes 
wear leggings and shirts of deerskin. In many instances they are highly 
ornamented with beads. 

RUDE METHODS OF WEAVING AND SPINNING. 

The Navajo and Winnebago Indians practice weaving and spinning 
in a rude way. The former have the art of extracting from plants the 
richest and most brilliant dye-stuffs. They have no spinning wheel, but 
use either a spindle, which one holds in the hand, while the other pulls 
out the thread ; or else a revolving stick, turned by a handle, and serving 
to wind up or reel the thread as it is "payed out" of the hand of the 
woman who holds a mass of the wool in her hands. 

I one day saw a Winnebago squaw weaving cloth in a kind of loom. 
She had many threads strung to little sticks fastened in a frame, and 
through these fibres she passed a string of beads, ingeniously arranging 
the different colors so as to produce a brilliant effect, and pressing the 
whole compactly together after the manner of a weaver. 

The Winnebagoes are the only wild Indians proper who seem to 
have any knowledge of this art, and they only produce such things as 
garters, armlets, leggings, purses, and the long, white, beautiful bead- 
bands which the women wear around their black hair. They are often 
five or six feet long, and fringed with many-colored beads. The contrast 
between the white and jet-black is very charming. 



342 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

The Sioux, unlike the Winnebagoes, allow their hair to hang down. 
They sometimes tie the ends of the plaits with ribbon, or wind them with 
red flannel. They are extremely fond of earrings, and I have seen as 
many as one hundred small ones in a Sioux ear (a slit being cut the 
whole length of the lobe to make room for them). 

Many of these ornaments are extremely heavy, being made of square 
or oblong pieces of California sea-shell, which is shaped like a saucer, 
the outside being prismatic, the colors often merging into blue, pink, 
green and gold. The earrings are sometimes eighteen inches long and 
correspondingly heavy. The ears in consequence are much elongated 
and torn. 

The subject of Indian Painting scarcely comes under the head of 
Clothing, but it may be appropriately treated here, nevertheless, and for 
obvious reasons. 

PAINT THEIR BODIES WITH GAY COLORS. 

All tribes of American Indians paint the face and body. The 
earliest discoverers found the savages using rude colors made of clays 
and stone. The Yanktons, Sioux, Santees and Cheyennes indulge in 
this practice to a considerable extent. For a palette they use a smooth 
stone, and for a brush, their finger ; the process might more correctly 
be termed daubing. If a Santee squaw desires to look especially 
bewitching she draws a red line, half an inch wide, from ear to ear, 
passing it over the eyes, the bridge of the nose, and along the middle 
of the cheeks. 

When a warrior wishes to be left alone he covers his face with black 
paint or lampblack, and draws zigzag lines from his ha±r to his chin by 
scraping off the paint with his nails ; this signifies that he is trapping, 
is melancholy, or in love. Many Indians, however, attach no more 
meaning to painting the head or body than white men would to parting 
their hair on the side of the head instead of in the center, as all savages, 
both men and women, do. That part of the scalp exposed by the 
p rting is by the men painted red. 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 343 

The Indians have a few paint-signs. When they bring home 
scalps and are about to engage in the scalp-dance, both squaws and men 
draw a semi-circle in vermilion in front of each ear, and redden the eyes. 
A " buck " who is courting a squaw usually colors his eyes yellow and 
blue, while she paints hers red. I have known squaws to undergo the 
painful operation of reddening the eyeballs that they might appear 
particularly fascinating to tlie young men. 

A red stripe drawn horizontally from one eye to the other signifies 
that the young warrior has seen a squaw with whom he is in love. This 
naturally creates a great flutter among the maidens who are all anxious 
to discover who is the favored one. This practice has occasioned many 
mistakes. 

I once heard of a famous Indian belle who loved a young warrior 
and employed all her arts to ensnare him. One day, the 3^oung man 
appearing with the love paint, the girl was so firm in her belief that it 
was intended for her that she told her friends she would soon be married 
and even hinted the same to him. Imagine her surprise and chagrin 
when he informed her that not she, but a very plain girl in the 
village, was his choice. 

The Sioux have a paint which they put on when about to pass 
sentence of death upon any one. The Crow or Snake Indians color 
their faces red, and renew it as fast as it rubs off. All who are able 
to obtain them, carry small looking-glasses which are fastened to 
the wrist by a small buckskin strap. These and the paint-bags are 
the inseparable companions of both sexes. 

INDIAN AMUSEMENTS. 

One of the favorite pastimes of the Indians of to-day is gambling. 
They bet upon their horse races and ball games, and will stake their all 
at a game of cards, often losing lodge, ponies, blankets, robes, and even 
their wives. After forfeiting everything in this manner, they will often 
start out to obtain new property by murder and rapine. 

The Indian game of ball has been described in the account of the 



344 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

surprise of Fort Michilimackina, but this, with many others peculiar to 
the Indians of former days, is now almost entirely abandoned. Card 
playing is now the universal amusement. Those who associate with 
Mexicans soon learn all these mysteries of " monte," while the Indians 
of the reservations readily acquire a knowledge of " poker" and " seven 
up," and are as tricky at cheating as the "Heathen Chinee." 

The women also play when they can gain a little spare time from 
their laborious occupations. But the men are thus engaged from morn- 
ing until night, and if they can get lights the games are continued 
throughout the entire night. A blanket spread on the ground serves as 
a table. Loafers are always present as spectators, and if a man is losing 
rapidly the news soon spreads throughout the village. Often the wife of 
the loser appears upon the scene and puts a stop to the game either by 
scolding and brow-beating her husband, or by informing the winning 
party that she will not live with him if won. 

FAVORITE GAME OF GAMBLERS. 

A favorite native gambling game is that played by the Santee 
Sioux with plum-stone dice. The wild plum-stones are dried hard and 
then polished by scraping with a knife. Six are used for a game, four 
being spotted on one side and blank on the opposite, and the other two 
striped or checked on one side and left blank on the other. These spots 
and stripes are made by means of a small iron instrument which is 
used to paint buffalo robes ; the iron, being heated, burns the marks 
into the stone. 

The dice are shaken in a small, light wooden bowl, but are never 
turned out. In playing the game they fold a blanket, place the bowl upon 
it and gather around in a circle. The sport begins by some one seizing 
the edge of the basin with his thumb outside and the ends of his fore- 
finger inside the rim, raising it an inch or so and bumping it down on 
the folded blanket three or four times in a rapid manner, which causes 
the light plum-stones to rattle about in the most lively fashion. 

After being allowed to settle, they are counted, and, if all the spotted 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 345 

and striped sides are uppermost, he who shook the bowl wins, unless 
there is a tie. If he throws four spotted ones it is the same as four aces 
in the game of bluff, but if three spotted and two striped ones are thrown, 
it is equivalent to a full hand of bluff. 

And so it is continued, the only difference being that when all the 
spotted and striped sides are up it shows a higher hand than four aces, 
and when all the blanks are in view there is a flush that ranks next to 
the highest hand and above the four aces. 

One of the chief pleasures of an Indian is getting drunk. It is not 
for the gratification of his palate or for convivial purposes, but simply 
the desire to find himself in this beastly condition. The sale of liquor 
to Indians upon their reservations is prohibited by the Government, but 
this amounts to but little, since they have only to step across the line to 
find traders in great numbers who are eager to dispense the fire-water. 

INDIANS THE PREY OF LIQUOR SELLERS. 

The liquor sellers of course make enormous profits, the Indian being 
willing to pay almost any price for a single bottle of whiskey. A trader's 
value set upon a gallon of watered whiskey is one pony, or five dressed 
buffalo robes. The Indian is highly susceptible to the influence of ardent 
spirits, and becoming thoroughly besotted is unable to quarrel or fight; 
hence there are very few outrages among them that can be traced to 
drink. 

Among the Indians of the plains who spend half their lives in the 
saddle, it is natural that horse-racing should form one of the most com- 
mon out-door diversions. 

The Indian saddle is constructed of light wood and leather. The 
seat is not rounded, but almost perfectly straight, forming nearly 
right angles with the cantle and pommel which are about eight inches in 
height. The latter ends in a rounded knob ; the former is wide at top 
and bottom with a depression cut in it to fit the heel or leg of the horse- 
man when he throws his entire body upon one side of the horse in battle. 

Catlin mentions a southern tribe (the Camanches, I believe), which 



346 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

also makes use of a support for the arm when concealing themselves 
on one side of their pon}^ or horse. 

It is of plaited horse hair and is very tightly woven in with the 
mane. When the warrior wishes to hide his person he drops his bent 
arm suddenly but surely into the plaited noose and is thus kept from 
falling. But to return to the saddle. When new it is covered with green 
hide which drying binds the whole frame tightly together. 

The saddle girth is a broad band of plaited hair, ending either in 
iron rings or bent wood covered with raw hide. An Indian draws the 
girdle of his pony woudrously and sometimes cruelly tight. This is 
necessary in order that during his difficult horseback manoeuvres in battle, 
the saddle and girth may be relied upon. 

HIDEOUS OBJECT ON HORSEBACK. 

An Indian upon horseback is a most ungainly looking object (as 
seen in the case of the Camanches). The stirrups are so short that his 
knees are drawn up almost to his chin while his back is bowed hideous^. 
With head stretched forward, the left hand holding the reins, the right 
carrying a whip, and heels drumming with constant and nervous motion 
against the horses ribs, he presents a very uncouth and disagreeable 
appearance. 

Yet his feats of horsemanship are wonderful. He can pick up a 
small coin from the ground while his horse is running at full speed. 

One of their races consists in riding rapidly to a pole placed hori- 
zontally on forked sticks, the object being to stop the horse just in time 
to touch the stick without passing beyond or knocking against it. 

Another contest in running is thus described. Two strips of buffalo 
hide are placed on the ground from six to ten feet apart. The rider then 
starts down two hundred yards away and tries to jump his horse between 
the strips ; if the animal fails to land his four feet inside at the first leap 
the rider loses. The Indian is an excellent jocke}^ and knows all the 
tricks of horse-racing. 

In fact he will rarely contend in a fair and square race, rather pre- 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 347 

ferring such ones as will enable him to win with his trick ponies. In a 
short race the quick ponies generally have the advantage, but in a dash 
of a mile the long stride of the American horse will take the stakes. 

The Apache Indians, many times during the year, hold shooting 
matches which are very picturesque affairs. This tribe, like the 
Camauches, are fine horsemen, and the shooting is done while going at 
full speed on horseback. It is very exciting sport. They first select a 
good level ground on the prairie and, in a semi-circle, form ten suc- 
cessive circular targets by simply cutting away the turf and making in 
the centre a sort of bull's eye covered with white pipe clay. Prizes are 
shot for and judges are appointed to award them. 

EXPERT MOUNTED WARRIORS. 

Bach mounted warrior, in his war costume and paint, with shoulders 
naked and shield upon his back, takes ten arrows and his bow in his 
left hand as if going into battle. All then gallop their horses round in 
a circle of a mile or more, under full whip, in order to get them at the 
highest rate of speed, in succession going by the ten targets and giving 
them their arrows as they pass. 

The rapidity with which these are placed upon the string and sent 
is a mystery to the bystander. No repeating arms are so rapid, unless 
we except the needle-gun or Gatling. Each arrow as it flies goes with 
a yelp and each bow is bent with a " wuhgh ! " which seems as if it 
would break both its fibres and the muscle of the archer. When the 
round is done and the scoring is finished, they take a short rest and 
begin again. 

At the end of the tenth round, when each warrior's arrows have been 
identified and the scoring completed, the stakes and honors are awarded 
and a feast is given to the contending archers. 

The Ojibway Indians have several peculiar kinds of amusements. 
One of these is a winter sport called the "Snow Snake." They make 
out of hard, smooth timber an imitation snake about six feet long. The 
manner of playing is to take it by the tail and throw it along the ice or 



348 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

snow with all the strength they can command. Whoever sends it the 
farthest for a certain number of times gains the prize. 

The women have a game called "Uhpuhsekuhwon," which is played 
with two leather balls tied with a string about two feet long. These are 
placed on the ground and each woman, with a stick about six feet long, 
tries to take up the balls from her antagonist and throw them into the 
air, the object of each being to get it to her own goal. Whoever 
succeeds in this wins the game. 

FAIRIES AND GIANTS. 

Many of the Indian tribes believe in the existence of fairies. The 
Ojibways call them Mamagwasewug, the hidden beings. They think 
that though not perceptible to the eye they are capable of rendering 
themselves visible. Many old Indians say that they have both seen and 
talked with them ; that they are about two or three feet high, and have 
their faces covered over with short hair. The following is one of the 
stories about them : 

Once upon a time a hunting party was encamped near a river, and 
finding that their powder and shot gradually decreased every night, one 
of them determined to lie awake and try to discover the thief. Some time 
after midnight, as the fire was going out, a fairy entered the wigwam 
and began very softly to help herself to these articles. The Indian then 
made a noise, upon which the little elf ran towards the door ; but as she 
was passing over the legs of the savage he raised them suddenly and 
she tripped. 

The moment she found herself detected she covered her face with 
the blanket of the red man and could not be prevailed upon to show it 
until he promised togive her a quantity of theammunition. Uponrevealing 
her countenance he saw that it was covered with soft, short hair; and it was 
on this account that she was unwilling that he should see her. After 
keeping her a prisoner a short time and receiving a promise that good 
luck should attend him in hunting, he released her. According to the 
agreement he was successful in the chase. 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMI-RICA. 349 

The Indians say that the fairies are very fond of shooting and that 
the}- frequently hear the report of their guns. How they obtain these 
firearms is a mystery unless they steal them from the hunters or take 
them from the graves of the dead. Old Ojibway Indians assert that one 
of the favorite abodes of the faries, before the appearance of the white 
people, was Burlington Bay ; and they were often seen there in a stone 
canoe. 

When pursued, they would paddle to a high bank, and the moment 
the canoe struck, all would disappear, the only sound heard being a 
distant rumbling noise. It was supposed they had their abode inside the 
bank. These elfs are said to be extravagantly fond of pieces of scarlet 
cloth and smart prints ; and the Indian who bestows some such small 
presents upon them is sure to be rewarded with long life and success in 
hunting. 

The Ojibway s believe in giants, which they call " waindegoos." 
They represent them as being as tall as pine trees and powerful as the 
" munedoos " or supernatural spirits. In their travels they pull down 
and turn aside immense forests, as a man would the high grass he 
walks through. 

They are said to live on human flesh, and, being invulnerable to 

bullet or arrow, are much dreaded by the Indians. People who have 

eaten human flesh to keep from starving are called " waindegoos," after 

the giants. 

MODE OF RECKONING TIME. 

The Ojibways divide the year into four quarters which they call 
"seegwun" (spring), or the sap season; " neebiu " (summer), or the 
abundant season; "tubwuhgin" (autumn), or the fading season, and 
" peboon " (winter), or cold, freezing weather. 

They also reckon by moons, which are as follows : 
January — February — 

The Great Spirit Moon. The Nullet Fish Moon. 

March— April — 

The Frog Moon. The Wild Goose Moon. 



350 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

May— June- 

Blooming Moon. Strawberry Moon. 

July— August- 

Huckleberry Moon. Red Raspberry Moon. 

September— October- 

Fading Leaf Moon. Falling Leaf Moon. 

November— December- 

Freezing Moon. Spirit Moon. 

They have no division of time into weeks or days, and have no 
knowledge of the number of days in a year. They know nothing of 
hours, minutes or seconds, dividing the day and the night each into 
three parts. 

Other Indians call January, The Hard Moon; February, The 
Raccoon Moon ; March, The Sore-Eye Moon ;April, The Moon in which 
the wild goose lays eggs (also called the Moon when streams are navi" 
gable again) ; May, The Planting Moon ; June, The Moon when the 
Strawberries are Red ; July, The Moon when Chokeberries are ripe (also 
the Moon when the wild geese shed feathers) ; August, The Harvest 
Moon ; September, The Moon when Rice is laid up to dry ; October. 
The Rice drying Moon ; November, The Deer-killing Moon ; December, 
The Deer Moon. 

THE DOG SACRIFICE OF THE SENECAS. 

A great annual festival of the Seneca Indians was "the burning of 
the dogs." This was a religious ceremony designed to appease th e 
wrath of the Great Spirit. 

Very early on the morning following the great dance, they took 
two pure white dogs (which, if necessary, they went to great trouble to 
procure) and crucified them, one on each side of the cross. The animals 
were strangled, not a bone being broken. 

Upon each were the following ornaments : A scarlet ribbon was 
tied just above the nose ; another, near the eyes ; around the neck was a 
white ribbon, to which was attached something bulbous ; this was placed 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 351 

directly under the right ear, and was probably intended as a charm. 
Red and white ribbons were then bound round the forelegs, at the knees 
and near the feet, the hind legs being similarly ornamented, while round 
the body was a profuse decoration. 

Near the cross a large fire was built, and just as the rays of the 
sun darted over the earth through the cool morning air, the Indians 
formed in a circle about it. One of the chiefs, arrayed in princely robes, 
then appeared, and, at a signal from him, two young leaders sprang up 
the cross and brought down the dogs, which they presented to the high 
priest, who advanced in a grave and solemn manner and laid them on 
the fire, after which he began an oration to the Great Spirit. 

APPEASING THE WRATH OF THE GREAT SPIRIT. 

At every pause in his speech he threw on the fire a portion of odor- 
iferous herbs which he took from a white cloth held in his left hand. 
At the close of the oblation, when the wrath of the Great Spirit was 
appeased, the Indians assembled in the council house, and, when each 
had recounted, with the usual gesticulatiou and fury, his warlike 
exploits, and the customary abdominal grunts of approval were all 
ended, a joyful dance was held, at the close of which every one suddenly 
feigued the greatest fear and excitement at the appearance of an Indian 
running at full speed to the council house. 

In an instant he had dashed into the fire, which he threw in all 
directions, taking the ashes and hot coals in his hands. This was a 
personification of the Evil Spirit, and his actions and appearance always 
created alarm among the young Indians, who were much rejoiced at his 
disappearance. He was disguised with a hideous false face, wore horns, 
and had his hands and feet protected from the fire. 

During the progress of this Dog Festival the hospitality of the 
Senecas was always unbounded. In the council house and the lodge of 
the chief a goodly amount of fat game was hanging ready dressed. 
There was also bread made of Indian meal, as well as large kettles of 
soup sweetened with maple sugar. All were invited to partake, and it 



352 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

would have been highly disrespectful for anyone to refuse the proffered 
hospitality at this time. 

As may be readily imagined, the courtship of the Indian is of the 
rudest and coarsest description. Indeed, it is not absolutely necessary 
that there should be any at all. All Indian women are bought of the 
parents for a greater or less amount of property, varying according to 
the accomplishments, strength and (in the case of young men)*the beauty 
of the girl. 

To obtain a wife, therefore, it is only necessary to strike a bargain 
with her father. If this is satisfactorily accomplished, the girl at once 
packs her possessions without any show or emotion, and follows her 
lord to the lodge of his father. Here he orders her to sit down upon a 
folded blanket ; if she obeys she thereby becomes his lawful wife. 

RUNS AWAY TO ESCAPE MARRIAGE. 

But there are often cases of rebellion among the Cheyenne Indians 
when the girl refuses to consummate the marriage and runs back to her 
father. No compulsion is used to force her to return, and the property 
is given back. In case of ill-treatment, a Cheyenne woman is allowed 
to leave her husband and live with another man of her choice. 

The Indian regards a woman so infinitely beneath his notice that he 
never seeks revenge upon either his wife or her new lord, except to apply 
to the chief and ask that a forfeit be imposed on the new husband ; this 
must always be paid in accordance with the decision of the chief. 
Among the Sioux the only recourse of the ill-used wife is suicide, which 
is frequently resorted to, since it is difficult to find in this tribe a hus- 
band who is not a ferocious brute in the treatment of his wife, hence a 
happy Sioux woman is rare. 

It will be seen that it is better, if possible, to win the love of the 
intended wife. Accordingly, the enamored young brave lingers about 
the lodge of his beloved in a sheepish sort of manner, making known his 
love by his actions rather than by words. He often startles the dull 
ear of night by a serenade. In case there are several suitors, they lie 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMI RICA. 353 

concealed about the lodge of the girl, and the moment she appears all 
rush towards her; if the one who seizes her be favorably regarded, she 
does not resist ; the two walk off together, sit down on the ground, throw 
a blanket over their heads and make love to their heart's content, never 
being disturbed by others at such a time. 

If, on the other hand, the wrong one catches hold of the maiden, 
she cries out and strives to free herself, when he immediately releases her. 
Often a warrior falls in love with several sisters ; in which case he buys 
the entire family. 

In the purchase of the wife there is much of the Oriental haggling 
and chaffing, the purchaser depreciating the points of the daughter, and 
the father exalting her various virtues and accomplishments. 

The new wife is taken home by her husband to the lodge of his 
father, in case it is his first marriage. Here they live together until he 
becomes rich enough to furnish a home of his own. 

LACK OF ROMANCE IN INDIAN MARRIAGES. 

There is very little romance connected with the honeymoon of a 
married couple, the new wife being in a small lodge in which are eight 
or ten other persons, privacy and delicacy being no more observed than 
if she were occupying a sty full of pigs. Indeed, the Indian seems to 
be almost entirely devoid of the sentiment of shame. 

The life of the married woman is one of unceasing toil and hard- 
ship ; the subject having been so often discussed it is unnecessary to do 
more than to allude to it here. 

The interior of an Indian tepee is a disgustingly filthy place, the 
cooking, eating and sleeping all being done in one apartment. The 
bedding consists of buffalo robes and blankets, which are placed around 
the outer circumference of the room next to the wall. The pots, 
kettles and parfleche bags are scattered in confusion around the 
whole interior. 

It is a well-known fact that Indian babies never cry. The method 
of teaching them to be quiet is worthy of imitation by white women 

23 



354 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NOR I H AMERICA. 

whose lives are made miserable by screaming infants. As scon as the 
child begins, some one puts the palm of the hand over its mouth and 
seizes its nose with the thumb and forefinger, by which it is nearly 
suffocated. This is repeated as soon as it begin? again, and the baby 
soon learns that silence is best. 

THE INITIATORY ORDEAL OF THE INDIAN WARRIOR. 

Before an Indian lad can be admitted to the band of warriors he 
must, in some of the tribes, pass through a terrible ordeal designed to 
test his capacity for physical endurance. On a stated day all candidates 
for warriorship assemble before the chiefs and braves, and each recounts 
with frantic gesticulations and yells, the deeds of murder and theft 
which entitle him, in his estimation, to the coveted position. 

The elders quietly listen until he has finished, when they question 
and cross-question his companions. After the testimony is all taken 
the candidates are turned out of the council house, and the body pro- 
ceeds to vote upon each case. The names of the successful ones are 
announced in a loud voice at the door. 

Then follows the ordeal which among the Cheyennes is as follows : 
The warrior father of the youth (or his nearest male relative) takes him 
outside of the village and after some religious ceremonies, proceeds to 
insert a knife through the muscles of each breast so as to make two verti- 
cal incisions about two inches apart. The muscle is then lifted and the 
ends of horsehair ropes passed through and tied in a knot. 

This rope is then fastened firmh- to the top of a post that has been 
set in the ground and the boy is left without food or water to free himself 
as and when he can. Sometimes he waits until the flesh mortifies sufficiently 
to enable him to tear loose ; sometimes he breaks away by main force at 
an earlier date. If he cries out or flinches under the knife the ceremony 
is over ; he is taken back to the camp and is regarded as no better than a 
squaw ; thereafter he must perform a woman's household labors, and is 
neither permitted to marry nor hold property. 

If (as in almost every case) he passes his ordeal successfully he 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 355 

at once assumes all the rights aud privileges of a warrior, holds property 
and is allowed to marry as soon as he is able to buy a wife. 

Catlin describes an ordeal, similar to the above, as practised by the 
Mandan Indian, the rites being even more horrible and full of excruciat- 
ing torture. The young braves were suspended to the posts by hooks 
passed beneath the gashes in the breast and back. When each had 
endured as long as he could, crying and groaning piteously in his terrible 
agony and at last fainting entirely away, he was taken down. 

A huge buffalo head was then tied to the strings which passed 

through his gashes and he was obliged to run round a post set up in the 

open air, while the yelling crowd jumped upon the buffalo head until 

they succeeded in detaching it from his person. Sometimes the tough 

integuments refused to yield, and the unfortunate youth went out alone 

to the prairie there to wait till mortification should loosen the tissues and 

release him. 

RELIGION OF THE INDIANS. 

It is unnecessary to say that the North American Indians are no 
exception to other uncivilized tribes in being profoundly superstitious. It 
would be impossible to give in this appendix even a sketch of the various 
religious beliefs of the different bands of the red men. But as all have 
very much in common we shall obtain a good idea of the rest by confin- 
ing our attention to one tribe. Suppose, then, we select the Ojibways. 

These Indians believe in the existence of one Supreme Being whom 
the)- name " Keche-munedoo." Another of his titles is " Kezha-mune- 
doo," the Benevolent or Merciful Spirit. They also have faith in the 
existence of an evil spirit " Mahje-munedoo," whose wrath they placate 
by sacrifices and offerings. 

They likewise have confidence in the presence of subordinate 
deities, such as the god of game, the god of fish and of water, etc. These 
become the object of their invocations when they are about to pass 
through the regions over which they preside. Thus, the hunter will 
pray to the god of game for success in his hunt ; the fisherman will 
direct his petitions to the spirit that presides over the water. 



356 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

The heavenly bodies, too, are adored as deities, as well as any 
curious freak of nature, and remarkable or terrific natural features, as 
mountains, caves, and dark gorges, through the gloom of which pours 
the flashing waterfall. They approach these places with the greatest 
solemnity smoking a pipe and leaving an offering of tobacco behind 
them. 

It was the opinion of the savages that the Great Spirit dwelt 
especially in the mighty falls of Niagara, and their approach to that 
place was with trembling steps and minds filled with awe. 

SUPERSTITIOUS AWE OF THUNDER. 

The thunder, particularly, is regarded as a most powerful god. 
They imagine it to be in the form of a great eagle that feeds upon 
serpents. When a thunderbolt strikes a tree or the ground, they 
fancy that the thunder god is shooting a serpent for his food. Some 
Indians assert that they have seen the serpent as it was being snatched 
up into the clouds. 

This belief no doubt arose from their seeing chains of zigzag light- 
ning which seemed to wriggle through the sky. They suppose the 
dwelling-place of the thunder-eagle to be on a lofty mountain in the far 
west. 

An Indian who once ventured to visit this abode gave the following 
report on his return : "After fasting and offering my devotions to the 
thunder, I, with much difficulty, ascended the mountain, the top of 
which reached to the clouds. As I looked, to my great astonishment I 
saw the thunder's nest where a brood of young thunders had been 
hatched and reared. 

" I saw all sorts of curious bones of serpents, on the flesh of 
which the old thunders had been feeding their young ; and the bark 
of the young cedar trees peeled and stripped, on which the young 
thunders had been trying their skill in shooting their arrows before 
going abroad to hunt serpents." 

Another tradition is to the effect that a party of Indians was once 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 357 

traveling over an extended plain when they came upon two young 
thunders lying in their nest in their downy feathers, the old thunders 
being absent at the time. Some of the party touched the eyes of 
these young with the points of their arrows, which were imme- 
diately shivered to pieces as though a young thunder-arrow had 
struck them. 

One of the party, more wise than his companions, entreated them 
to desist from meddling with them, warning them that they would 
pay dearly for their folly if they did not. The foolish men refused to 
listen, continued to tease, and finally killed them. As soon as this deed 
was committed a black cloud appeared, advancing toward them with 

great fury. 

ROARS OF FIERY INDIGNATION. 

Presently the thunder began to roar and send forth volumes of its 
fiery indignation. It was too evident that the old thunders were 
enraged on account of the destruction of their young. Soon, with a 
tremendous crash, the arrows of the mighty thunder-god fell on the 
foolish men and destroyed them ; but the wise and good Indian 
escaped unhurt. 

The Ojibways, like many other primitive races, credit the existence 
of personal or tutelary divinities. They gain these munedoos by fast- 
ing and taking note of the dreams that come to them in this interval. 
Whatever object they see most distinctly during sleep becomes their 
guardian divinity for the remainder of their lives. Through the 
agency of these munedoos they think they have the power of bewitch- 
ing one another ; performing extraordinary cures ; overcoming their 
enemies ; and casting a spell over the girl whom they wish to marry. 

The following tradition shows the Ojibways' faith in the efficacy of 
dreams : A canoe manned with warriors was once pursued by a number 
of others filled with their enemies. They employed all their strength in 
trying to escape by paddling ; but the enemy gained on them so rapidly 
that the old warriors began to call for the assistance of those things which 
they had dreamed of during their fasts. 



355 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

One man's "mnnedoo" was a sturgeon, which, being invoked, soon 
caused their speed to equal its own, and the enemy was left far behind. 
But the fish being short of breath, soon tired, and the pursuing party 
again gained upon them. The rest of the young warriors, with the 
exception of one young man who, from his mean and ragged appearance, 
was considered a fool, called the assistance of their gods, and for a time 
they were enabled to keep in advance. 

At length,having exhausted the strength of all their "munedoos,"and 
the enemy being now so near as to turn to head them, they were about to 
give themselves up for lost, when at this critical moment the foolish 
young man thought of his "medicine bag" which he had removed and 
laid in a canoe at the beginning of the flight. 

He continued to cry out, "Where is my medicine bag?" They 
charged him to keep quiet and not trouble them about the bag, but he 
persisted in his demand, until, at last, one of them threw it to him. He 
immediately put in his hand and pulled out an old pouch, made of the 
skin of a sawbill — a species of duck — and held it by the neck to the water. 

FEAT OF A YOUNG INDIAN. 

The canoe at once began to glide swiftly at the usual speed of the 
sawbill, and in a short time they were beyond the reach of the enemy. 
The young Indian then wrung out the water and restored the pouch to its 
place in the bag. The warriors were astonished at his power, and 
resolved never again to judge a person by his external appearance. 

The Ojibways have many festivals, among which is the "Weendahs- 
owin Weekoondewin," or the Naming Feast, which is held upon the occa- 
sion of giving a name to a child. Representations of the gods to whom 
the child is to be dedicated are previously prepared and now laid before it. 
Whilst the meat is burning an old Indian offers prayer and then utters 
the name of the child, which all who are present repeat after him. 

Another ceremony is " Kahgahgeshee," or Crow Feast. The meat 
or fish is spread on bark trays, around which the invited guests sit like 
crows around a carcass, each gormandizing to his fullest extent. At 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 



359 



intervals during the meal they will croak like a crow. Other entertain- 
ments are the Feast to the Dead, the Dog Feast and the Feast of the 
first animal or fowl killed by a boy. 

The Dakotas have a celebration and dance in honor of an anti- 
natural god, which they call " Ha-o-Kah," or the Giant. They believe 
him to possess supernatural powers second only to the Great Spirit. 




WINTER CAMP OF THE FRIENDLY DAKOTAS. 

The dance is performed by the men only, within a wigwam and around 
a fire, over which are kettles of meat boiling. They are destitute of 
clothing, except a conical cap made of birch bark, streaked with paint 
to represent lightning, and some strips of the same material around 
the loins. 

While hopping and singing around the kettles they thrust in their 
bare hands, pull out the pieces of meat and eat them while scalding 



360 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

hot, after' which they splash the boiling water over their backs, still 
continuing to hop around and singing out, "Oh, how cold it is," pre- 
tending that the water does not scald them, and that the god will not 
allow any of his clan to be injured by it. It is probable that they dip 
their hands into some preparaiion which so deadens the nerve fibres 
that they suffer but little from the scalding water. 

So much for the religious customs of the Ojibways. It still remains 
to refer to one great feature of Indian religion, i. e., "Medicine." 
" Making Medicine" and the " Medicine Dance" are the most important 
ceremonies in the Indian ritual, and as they are observed with the 
greatest punctiliousness by the red men of the plains, we will describe 
them as they exist among these tribes. 

THE WONDERFUL MEDICINE MAN. 

Some knowledge of the mythology of these Indians is indispensable 
to a proper understanding of the " medicine superstition." They believe 
in two supreme gods, the good and the bad, who interest themselves in 
the affairs of men ; the former to their advantage and prosperity, the 
latter to their detriment. To discover which of these deities is at any 
particular time favorably inclined to him the Indian resorts to divina- 
tion, and for this purpose he makes " medicine." 

Each one carries in a pouch his individual charm, or remedy, and 
the whole band, under the direction of the great medicine man of the 
tribe, unite in the medicine dance previous to engaging in any great 
warlike expedition. Before giving some details of the medicine cere- 
monies we will consider the other chief mythological tenets of the 
Indians of the plains. 

They believe that every one of their race who is not scalped or 
hung goes at once to the "Happy Hunting Grounds," which are 
a phantasmal reflection of this life, and in which the spirit of the 
Indian continues all his mundane pursuits, fighting ghostly enemies 
with spectral weapons; and living a life replete with happiness, albeit 
everything is airy and unsubstantial as a dream. 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 361 

Their belief that one who is scalped is at once annihilated and, 
therefore, cannot go to the "Happy Hunting Grounds," explains 
the eagerness with which they scalp their enemies ; they will have, 
they think, so many the less to contend against in their heaven. 
Hanging, too, they suppose, effects the same result ; for, as the 
soul at death passes out of the body by way of the mouth, the 
act of suspension cuts of the passageway and the soul dies within 
the body. 

They are of the opinion, also, that anyone killed in the dark will 
dwell forever in obscurity in the other world. This superstition has 
been greatly to the advantage of the white settlers of the West ; an 
unspeakable blessing, indeed, for if the Indian, with his stealthy, 
sneaking ways, were not deterred by this persuasion, from attacking 
in the night, he would become a far more terrible foe than he now is. 

REMAINS FOREVER THE SAME. 

They furthermore believe that a person remains through all 
eternity just as he was when he died. If, for instance, he was 
maimed by the loss of a leg, one-legged he remains forever. All 
the accoutrements and domestic utensils of an Indian are buried 
with him that he may have the use of their ghosts, or eidolons in 
the spirit land. 

The excessive superstition of the savage causes him to attach a 
supernatural meaning to a thousand and one events of his daily life. 
He defines the future by means of the flight of a bird, the course of a 
serpent on the ground, or the dreams which he has in his sleep, attaching 
either a good or a bad significance to them, and designating them respect- 
ively "good medicine" and "bad medicine." 

But he also resorts to direct measures for obtaining a knowledge of 
the future ; this he calls "making medicine," and consists of a sort of 
incantation performed in the following manner : A number of fantastic 
objects (such as colored earths, particular bones of animals or birds, and 
all sorts of odds and ends) are placed in a shallow dish and stirred with 



362 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

a stick. From the combinations of color and other resulting phenomena 
the Indian believes he can foretell the result of the transaction he has in 
view and which god is on his side. 

No important undertaking is set in motion without the preliminary 
process of medicine making. In the active summer season this occurs 
almost every week. Each separate band occasionally engages in this 
ceremony together, and at least once a year the entire tribe is assembled 
for the great medicine dance. 

This supremely important observance is under the direction of the 
high priest or chief medicine man of the tribe. This functionary is held 
in great veneration ; and to his priestly offices he unites the occupation 
of physician. 

Generally he is an arrant humbug and impostor, his principal busi- 
ness (when not engaged in performing pow-wows over the sick) consisting 
in looking out for himself and family, and securing for himself and them 
as many good things as possible in the division of meat and plunder. 

SUMMONS OF WAR AND VIOLENCE. 

In the spring, when the Indian begins to contemplate expeditions of 
war or rapine, the medicine chief issues a summons to the various bands 
to assemble and make medicine. To some of the tribes this is not a 
welcome or agreeable call, since the ceremony occupies much time, and, 
as will appear, is attended with great suffering to individuals. But the 
refractory bands are compelled to respond. 

All being in attendance at the designated spot, the great medicine 
lodge, in which the dance is to take place, is constructed by the squaws. 
In the centre of this hut is suspended the rude figure of a man, cut from 
a plank or split log, and painted black on one side and white on the 
other. A space is roped off in the middle of the room for the dancers • 
around this is another for the guards, while the remaining portion is 
designed for the spectators. 

The medicine chief now announces the names of those who have 
been chosen to make the dance and the head chief selects his guard, whose 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 363 

office is to see that the dancers obey the medicine chief and that all 
things are properly executed. 

Each dancer holds in his mouth a small whistle of wood or bone. 
At a signal from the medicine chief, each fixes his eye upon the wooden 
image aloft, blows his whistle and commences the dance, all moving 
round in a circle, leaping and bouncing in the usual Indian style. The 
object is for each to continue without intermission of any kind until he 
falls in a fainting fit from exhaustion. 

For eight or ten hours the performance continues without any marked 
excitement. By this time, however, the participants are becoming terribly 
fatigued ; the strain upon the eyes caused by keeping them fixed con- 
stantly upon one spot ; the dizziness produced by the rotary motion ; and 
the incessant blowing of the whistles ; all telling frightfully upon their 
strength. At this point the lodge is filled with a deafening din and 
uproar, the friends and relatives of the dancers shouting and yelling to 
keep up the flagging courage of the panting contestants. At length one 
of them falls and is drawn out of the cirle. 

FACE PAINTED WITH VARIOUS SYMBOLS. 

The medicine chief then proceeds to paint various symbols upon his 
face in order to restore him to consciousness. If unsuccessful, the man 
is taken outside and buckets of cold water dashed over him. Occasionally 
one of them dies. The word of the medicine chief cannot be disputed, 
and he may order the restored man to return to the dance. Generally 
however, he can be influenced by a present of ponies or other property, 
and will permit the man's friends to remove him. 

It may be seen that the cunning priest arranges everything to his 
own advantage. He can, and often does, select for the dance those who 
are able to pay liberally for the privilege of being released after the first 
fainting. 

In case all the dancers swoon and are carried out at least once 
without a death occurring the ceremony is pronounced " good medicine," 
and the greatest rejoicing and good feeling prevail. But should a life be 



364 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

sacrificed it is " bad medicine," and the utmost consternation is mani- 
fested. The air is filled with shrieks, howls and wailings, and each band 
lisperses as quickly as possible, returning to its own locality. 

The bad god is supposed to have power over them and no expedi- 
tion can be undertaken until the occurrence of another dance affords 
eood medicine. It should be mentioned in conclusion that no warrior is 
compelled to make the dance more than once. 

The Indians, like savage tribes in general, think that all nature is 
animated by disembodied spirits possessing human attributes and 
powers ; especially do they believe the earth to be full of the spirits of 
departed men. After a battle they frequently raise loud shouts and 
make hideous noises in their villages in order to frighten away the 
ghosts of the dead. 

SCARING AWAY THE DEAD. 

The tribes about Lake Superior frequently discharge their firearms 
at night to scare away the dead, who, they say, are troubling them. 
They manifest a great dread of the departed souls. Many Indians 
never utter the name of a deceased person in the fear that the spirit 
will hear it and return. For the same reason they also change their 
own names. 

The Ojibways, Seminoles, Arkansas and New England tribes inva- 
riably abandoned or pulled down a lodge in which a death had occurred, 
as, otherwise, it would be haunted by the spirit of the dead. Some 
were accustomed to sprinkle ashes along the path to the place of sepul- 
ture that they might discover whether the ghost of the dead returned. 

The North American Indians hold the opinion that if an enemy 
gains possession of the body of one of their number, or even of a scalp, 
the unfortunate person is excluded forever from the Happy Hunting 
Grounds and wanders forlorn over the earth. This accounts for their 
desperate courage when endeavoring to bring off their dead or wounded 
from the battlefield, and for this reason, also, they never abandon their 
comrades, alive or dead. 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 365 

Among the Ottawas it was thought that a great famine was occa- 
sioned by neglecting to give the dead the rites of burial. Many of the 
tribes, on removiug to anew home, took with them the bodies, or bones, 
of their ancestors. The Mandans and tribes of the Columbia River 
suspended their departed ones on scaffolds and in canoes, respectively. 
The Sioux, Assiniboins and Western Ojibways also practiced sus- 
pension. 

All these customs, like the embalming of the Eg\rptians, arose from 
a belief in the resurrection of the body and a consequent wish to 
protect it from wild animals. 

The Ojibways buried their dead in a tomb of poles or logs. When 

a wife thus interred her husband she ran toward home in a zigzag 

course, dodging behind trees to escape his spirit. For several days after 

a rattling at the door was maintained in order to frighten away the 

ghost. 

CUSTOM OF CREMATION. 

Cremation was of frequent occurrence, especially among the Cali- 
fornia Indians and the Southern tribes. Many of the latter erected 
small mounds of shells or earth over their departed friends. 

In the spirit land the pursuits and occupations would be the same 
as those engaged in here, hence the custom of burying so many valuable 
articles with their dead. And for this reason, also, on the decease of a 
man, a greater or less number of his dependents or relatives were 
slaughtered, as he would need their spirits in the other world to attend 
and wait upon him. 

Among the American Indians, as well as the ancients, it was 
thought that the departed partook of such sacrifices as were placed 
upon or around their places of sepulture, and it was deemed a sacrile- 
gious act to neglect to offer something when passing these silent abodes. 

An Ojibway was once going by an Indian burial ground, at dusk, 
with a kettle of whiskey which he was carrying home. He knew that 
duty to his ancestors required him to offer a libation, but his self-love 
evercame the promptings of superstition, so he grasped his kettle firmly 



36G THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

and strode on. Presently he fancied that a ghost was following him ; 
turning in desperation to grapple with his pursuer he grasped a 
bunch of rushes. 

Gitchi Ganzini, an Ojibway chief, after a severe illness in which he 
was at one time thought to be dead, gave an account of his journey 
to the spirit land, in which he asserted that he had met hosts of persons 
traveling heavenward laden with the articles which had been interred 
with them. 

There are a few instances of human sacrifices among the American 
Indians. The Ojibways have a tradition to the effect that in ancient 
times when an epidemic was sweeping over their tribe, they concluded 
that a human sacrifice was demanded to appease the offended deity. At 
last it was decided that the most beautiful girl in their band must be 
immolated. She was to enter a canoe, push out into the channel just 
above the cataract of the Sault and throw away her paddle. 

DECKED WITH SHELLS AND FEATHERS. 

The morning of the fatal day arrived, and her loud and mournful 
wailings filled the air. The maiden was decked by her companions with 
the brightest shells and the most beautiful feathers. The time appointed 
was the sunset hour, and as the day waned the gloom which pervaded 
the entire village increased. And now the hour had come ; the maiden 
approached the canoe, when lo ! a strange, far sound came over the 
water, and a black speck was seen coming from the setting sun. 

It was a small canoe which moved magically over the water, and in 
it was a fairy-like being who stood with her arms folded and eyes fixed 
upon the heavens. As she moved toward the rapids she sang, " I come 
from the spirit-land to stay the plague and to save the beautiful Ojib- 
way." Then the boat and its heavenly voyager swept over the rapids 
and disappeared from sight forever. 

Charlevoix, describing the human sacrifices among the Natchez at 
the obsequies of a female chief says : " The husband of this woman not 
being noble, that is to say, of the family of the Great Chief, his eldest 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OE NORTH AMERICA. 367 

son strangled him, according to custom ; then the cabin was cleared of 
all it contained and in it was erected a kind of triumphal car in which 
the bodies of the deceased woman and her husband were placed. A 
moment afterward they ranged round these carcasses twelve little chil- 
dren whom their parents had strangled. 

"After which they erected in the public place fourteen scaffolds 
adorned with cloths and the branches of trees, on which they had painted 
various figures. These platforms were designed for as many persons as 
were to accompany the woman chief into the other world. Application 
for this favor is sometimes made ten years in advance. 

" They appear on their scaffolds dressed in their richest habits, hold- 
ing in the right hand a great shell. During the eight days that pre- 
cede their death some wear a red ribbon round one of their legs ; and 
in this interval each one strives to be the first to feast them. 

FOURTEEN PERSONS TO DIE. 

" On the occasion of which I am speaking the fathers and mothers 
who had strangled their children now took them up in their hands and 
ranged themselves on both sides of the cabin ; the fourteen persons who 
were destined to die placed themselves in the same manner. At length 
the procession commenced. The parents who carried the dead children 
appeared first, marching two and two, immediately in front of the bier 
on which was the body of the woman chief and which four men carried 
on their shoulders. 

u All the others followed in the same order. At every ten paces the 
parents let their children fall on the ground ; those who carried the bier 
walked upon them and then turned quite round them so that when the 
procession arrived at the temple these little bodies were all in pieces. 
While they buried the body of the woman chief in the temple they 
undressed the fourteen persons who were to die, and made them sit on 
the ground before the door, each having two savages by him. 

"Then they put a cord about his neck and covered his head with a 
roebuck's skin. They made him swallow three pills of tobacco and 



368 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

drink a glass of water ; and the kinsmen of the woman chief drew the 
two ends of the cord, singing till he was strangled. After this they 
threw all the carcasses into the same pit, which they covered with 
earth." 

Mutilations were another form of sacrifice to the shades of the dead. 
The exhibition of grief by the Crows for the death of their chief, 
A-ra-poo-ash, is thus described by one who witnessed it : " Every one 
set up the most dismal howlings that I have ever heard in my life. I 
dispatched a herald to the village to inform them of the head chief's 
death. When we drew in sight of the village we found every lodge laid 
prostrate. We entered amid shrieks, cries and yells. 

WILD AND BLOODY RITES. 

" Blood was streaming from every conceivable part of the bodies of 
all who were old enough to comprehend their loss. Hundreds of fingers 
were dismembered , hair torn from the head lay in profusion about the 
paths. A herald having been dispatched to our other village to acquaint 
them with the death of our head chief and request them to assemble at 
the Roosebud, in conformity with this summons, over ten thousand 
Crows met at the place indicated. Such a scene of disorderly, vociferous 
mourning no imagination can conceive nor any pen portray. 

" ' Long Hair ' cut off a large roll of his hair — a thing he was never 
known to do before. The cutting and hacking of human flesh exceeded 
all my previous experience ; fingers were dismembered as easily as 
twigs, and blood flowed like water. Many of the warriors would cut two 
gashes nearly the entire length of their arm ; then, separating the skin 
from the flesh at one end, would grasp it in their other hand and rip it 
asunder to the shoulder." 

So much for the belief in the existence and presence of the shades 
of the dead. But all nature was also filled with spirits potent for weal 
or woe and ever to be placated, deprecated and worshipped. The Ojibways 
believed that the earth teemed with these immaterial beings. Sylvan 
spectres are clothed with moss ; during a shower thousands of them take 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 369 

shelter in a single flower ; they appear as fairies and their voice is heard 
in the insect's hum. 

The fairy spirits attack poultry and stock which then die. They 
throw small stones through the windows of their houses and dance over 
the ground like the down of a thistle. The Sioux also believe in fairies. 
The Otoes call a mound near the mouth of White Stone River, " the 
mountain of little people." They think it is the dwelling place of little 
devils about eighteen inches high with remarkably large heads. 

The Western tribes credited the existence of a spirit named 
Aisemid, who owned a curious little shell and could become invisible 
or visible as he chose. Ninumbees were little naked imps about two 
feet in height, and having tails ; the Shoshones said they dwelt in the 
mountains of Montana, and that they were in the habit of seizing and 
eating any infant they could lay their hands upon, leaving in its place 
one of their own race looking so much like the child that the mother 
mistakes it for her own. If the little fiend seizes her breast as she is 
about to nurse it, she dies. 

CURIOUS IDEAS OF SLEEP. 

Sleep was thought to be produced b\ fairies, the prince of whom is 
Weeng. When he, or one of his subjects, beholds a mortal in a favor- 
able situation, he nimbly leaps upon his forehead and inflicts three 
blows with a tiny club ; after the third stroke sound slumber ensues. 

The shape of Weeng is not certainly known. Iagoo is said to have 
seen him sitting upon the branch of a tree, in the shape of a giant 
insect with many wings upon his back which made a low, deep murmur- 
ing sound like falling water. Weeng is also the cause of dulness. If 
an orator fails, people say he is struck by Weeng. When a child nods 
or yawns, the mother smiles and says it has been touched by the club 
of Weeng. 

Among all the savage tribes, any remarkable or dangerous feature 
in the landscape — such as waterfalls, sombre glens, mountains and 
springs — became the object of dread and veneration, because supposed 

24 



370 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

to be the abode of some spirit. The stupendous and awe-inspiring Falls 
of Niagara and of the Yosemite were especially revered as the habita- 
tions of powerful genii. The sounds that issued from caverns were 
thought to be produced by them. 

Mountains with their nodding forests, their mysterious, inaccessible 
heights and fastnesses are calculated to fill with awe the mind of even the 
civilized white man, and to the savage they are always spirit haunted. 
In the Yosemite country, one of the lofty peaks was named after a maiden 
sprite, Tisayac, who was thought to inhabit the place. 

LIFTED SUDDENLY OUT OF SIGHT. 

Once, when the chief, Totokomila, was hunting he met and fell pas- 
sionately in love with her, but when he reached out his hand she was 
lifted above his siofht. Totokomila wandered forlorn in search of her. 
He allowed all things to go to waste, and the fair valley was desolate; 
even the waters were dried up. But Tisayac visited her valley again. 
Lighting upon the dome, the granite was riven beneath her feet, a beau- 
tiful lake was formed between the cloven walls, and a river issued forth 
to gladden and beautify the valley forever. 

Then sang the birds as of old, the air was filled with the perfume of 
flowers, and the trees put forth their buds. Tisayac went away, but the 
people called the dome by her name. Totokomila never returned from 
his search for her but a high rock guarding the entrance to the valley 
was named after him. 

Says the author of "Astoria" : "The Black Hills are chiefly com- 
posed of sandstone, and are in many places broken into the most fan- 
tastic forms. The wandering tribes of the prairies, who often behold 
clouds gathering round the summits of these hills, and lightning and 
thunder pealing from them, when all the neighboring plains are serene 
and sunny, consider them the abode of the genii or thunder-spirits Mho 
fabricate storms and tempests. On entering their defiles, therefore, 
they often hang offerings on the trees or place them on the rocks to 
propitiate the invisible lords of the mountain." 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 371 

Natural objects having any resemblance to either the human or the 
animal forms were regarded as the result of metamorphosis. The fol- 
lowing tradition is recorded by Mr. Irving in his "Indian Sketches": 
"In one part of the great salt plains of the Saline River is a large rock 
of pure salt of dazzling whiteness, which is highly prized by the Indians, 
and to which is attached the following story : Many years since, before 
the whites had extended their march beyond the banks of the Missis- 
sippi River, a tribe of Indians resided upon the Platte near its junction 
with the Saline. 

"Among these was one, the chief warrior of the nation, celebrated 
throughout all the neighboring country for his fierce disposition. They 
gloried in him as their leader, but shrank from all fellowship with him. 
His lodge was deserted, and even in the midst of his nation he was 
alone ; yet there was one being that clung to him and loved him in 
defiance of his stern and rugged nature. 

BEAUTIFUL AND GRACEFUL AS A FAWN. 

"It was the daughter of the hereditary chief of the village, a beau- 
tiful girl, and graceful as one of the fawns of her own prairie. She 
became his wife, and he loved her with all the fierce energy of his nature. 
It was a new feeling to him. It stole like a sunbeam over the dark 
passions of his heart. Her sway over him was unbounded. He was a 
tiger tamed. 

"She died; he buried her; he uttered no word ; he shed no tear. 
He returned to his lonely lodge and forbade all entrance. No sound of 
grief was heard from it ; all was silent as the tomb. The morning came, 
and with its earliest dawn he left the lodge. A month elapsed and he 
returned, bringing with him a large lump of white salt. In a few words 
he told his tale. He had travelled many miles over the prairie. 

"The sun had set in the west, and the moon was just rising over 
the verge of the horizon. The Indian was weary and threw himself on 
the grass. He had not slept long when he was awakened by the low 
wailing of a female. He started up and at a little distance, by the light 



872 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

of the moon, beheld an old and decrepit hag brandishing a tomahawk 
over the head of a yonng female who was kneeling and imploring mercy. 
He approached them but they seemed unconscious of his presence. 

"The young female, finding her prayers unheeded, sprang up and 
made a desperate attempt to get possession of the tomahawk. A furious 
struggle ensued, but the old woman was victorious. Twisting one hand 
in the long, black hair of her victim, she raised the weapon in her other 
and prepared to strike. The face of the young female was turned to the 
light, and the warrior beheld with horror the features of his dead wife. 

" In an instant he sprang forward and his tomahawk was buried in 
the skull of the old squaw. But ere he had time to clasp the form of 
his wife, the ground opened, both sank from his sight, and on the ground 
appeared a rock of white salt. He had broken a piece from it and 
brought it to his tribe. 

DEFENDED BY AN OLD SQUAW. 

"This tradition is still current among the Indians of that region. 
They also imagine that the rock is still under the custody of the old 
squaw, and that the only way to obtain a portion of it is to attack her. 
For this reason, before attempting to collect salt, they beat the ground 
with clubs and tomahawks, and each blow is considered as inflicted upon 
the person of the hag. The ceremony is continued until they imagine she 
has been sufficiently belabored to resign her treasure without opposition." 

One of the stupendous canons of the Colorado river was supposed 
by the savages to have been the trail of a god, and that he caused a 
river to flow through it to hide his tracks. 

Islands, according to the belief of the Indians, were frequently 
haunted. That of Manitobah was an object of dread and awe to them 
on account of the many strange noises made upon it by the water. 
During the night when a gentle breeze was blowing from the island, the 
ringing of bells and faint, weird gurglings and voices were distinctly 
heard. No Indian would ever land upon it. 

Some Indians who w r ere once lost in a fog stopped upon the island 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 



373 



Missipicooatcmg. As they were going away they attempted to take with 
them some lumps of copper ore, when they thought they heard a loud 
and angry voice exclaim, " What thieves are these that carry off my 
children's cradles and playthings ? " It was the voice of Missibizzi, 
the goblin spirit of the waters. Three of the Indians died from fear. 
The fourth survived only long enough to reach home. It is needless to 
state that thereafter the savages kept at a safe distance from the island. 

The Isle of Yellow Sands is the sub- 
ject of a fanciful legend regarding its sup- 
posed golden treasure. The natives believe 
that the sand is gold, but that the guardian 
spirit of the isle will not permit it to be 
removed. He is assisted in this object by 
innumerable eagles, hawks and other large 
birds who, circling around, warn him of the 
presence of intruders, and aid in expelling 
them by the use of their beaks and claws. 

He is also assisted by vast and hideous 
serpents which he has called up from the 
water and which lie thickly coiled upon the 
golden sands. A great many years ago, it 
is said, some Indians, driven upon the CIVILIZED NAVAJO BELLE, 
enchanted spot by stress of weather, attempted to cany off a large 
quantity of the golden treasure in their canoes, but a gigantic spirit 
advanced into the water and, in a tone of thunder, commanded them to 
bring it back. 

Springs were also the abode of spirits. The Navajos have a sacred 
spring which boils only at the approach of bad men. It will sometimes 
leap twenty feet into the air to catch and drown a wicked Indian. 
Offerings of vegetable and mineral substances are made to it. 

The Idaho is a famous soda spring of which the Snake Indians 
have this tradition. A Shoshone and Camanche chief quarrelled and 
the former, when he stooped to drink, was knocked into the pool. 




374 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

Immediately great bubbles and spirits of gas darted upward, and Wau- 
kanaga, the great ancestor of the Camanche and Shoshone nations, 
appeared in a cloud of vapor and with curses on his lips, dashed out the 
brains of the Camanche who also fell into the water. Since that time it 
has continued to be a warm soda spring. 1 

The region of the Geysers of Colorado was, to the Indians, 
all enchanted ground. The Arrapahoes regard the bubbling of 
a fountain as the breath of a spirit, and fill the basin with offer- 
ings of beads and wampum. Objects are suspended on the surround- 
ing trees. 

Father Hennepin gives an instance of River worship. As he was 
making the portage of his canoe at St. Anthony's Falls he saw one of his 
Indians, who had gone in advance, up an oak tree opposite the fall weep- 
ing bitterly and holding in his hands a valuable beaver robe, whitened 
inside and trimmed with porcupine quills, which he was about to offer as 
a sacrifice to the terrible cataract. 

A REMARKABLE REQUEST. 

He was heard to say, " Thou who art a spirit, grant that our nation 
may pass here quietly without accident ; may kill buffaloes in abundance; 
conquer our enemies ; and bring in slaves, some of whom we will put to 
death before thee." 

Many superstitions are connected with Manitou Lake, as its name 
suggests. In it is a whirlpool which carries the water around four times 
in every twenty-four hours. During the winter the whirling is accompanied 
with strange noises beneath the ice, which the Indians ascribe to the 
hosts of evil spirits imprisoned in the bottom of the lake, and which, 
they think, are embodied in monstrous and horrible animal shapes. 
There is a tradition to the effect that on occasion of a great drouth, the 
rays of the sun were so hot as to penetrate to the bottom of the lake and 
stir up the horrible brood of monsters there, which, rising to the surface, 
trailed their hideous lengths along the shore. 

The worship of the heavenly bodies was a general custom amongst 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 



375 



the simple-minded Indians. The stars were supposed to be inhabited by 
spirits — often those of the dead members of the tribe. 

It was the belief of some that their medicine man had power to pass 
through holes in the sky and see the sun and moon walking about like 
men. The Haidahs and the Oregon Indians entertain the opinion that 
the sun is a shining man who wears an aureola of light about his head. 
The Loucheux say that the moon once lived amongst them as a poor 
ragged boy. 

The primitive mind sees nothing incredible in metamorphosis. 
The early races of men believed that animals could turn into men, and 
vice versa. Perhaps this idea was assisted by some of their names. 
For example some ancestor is called " Bear." His descendants come to 
be really persuaded that he was a 
veritable bruin and f hey are the 
transformed offspring of that ani- 
mal. Again the Indians have faith 
in the possibility of men changing 
into heavenly bodies. 

One of their traditions relates 
that an Indian, with his wife and two rocky mountain bear. 

children, was living on the shores of the great lake when the game of 
the country had nearly all disappeared. Everything seemed to work 
adversely with the poverty-stricken family, and starvation stared them 
in the face. The father spent entire days in roaming through the forests 
but returned without even a pair of snow-birds for a supper. 

At last he shot a rabbit and returned to his lodge with the speed of 
a deer ; but his wife and children were gone. He turned to search for 
them, and a noise like the wail of a loon floated down through the air. 
Looking up he saw the spirits of his family perched on the dry limb of 
a tree. They said they would return in the spring, when he and they 
would be transformed ; which promise was fulfilled, and all were changed 
into shooting stars. 

The Ojibways tell of a man who was metamorphosed into a fire-fly 




376 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

and then into the North star, receiving these honors as a compensation 
for disappointment in love. 

The Housatonic Indians believed that the small stars sprinkled 
round the constellation of the Great Bear were translated Indians 
engaged in hunting the Bear. They begin the chase in the spring and 
continue it throughout the summer, but by autumn they have wounded 
it, and the dripping of the blood colors all the leaves. That rude 
resemblance to the human face seen in the full moon is said by the 
Ojibways to be the faint outline of the beautiful maiden, " Love Bird," 
who became the bride of the moon. She now looked down upon Indian 
maidens who traced her form and told her story by the light of the 

lodge fire. 

LEGEND OF » SWEET STRAWBERRY." 

The Ojibways, who were undoubtedly the most poetical of the abo- 
riginal tribes of North America, have also this pretty legend : There was 
once a maiden named "Sweet Strawberry." She was the most beautiful 
girl of the nation ; her voice was like that of the turtle-dove ; her form 
graceful and lissom as the fawn ; her eyes were brilliant as stars. The 
young men of every nation had striven to win her heart, but she smiled 
upon none. 

The snows of winter had departed and the balmy airs of spring were 
wafting over the land. The wild ducks came and proceeded to build 
their nests in pairs. A cluster of early flowers peered above the dry 
leaves of the forest and whispered of love. She looked now into her 
heart and longed for a companion upon whom she might place her affec- 
tions. Her brow continued to droop and her friends regarded her as the 
victim of settled melancholy. One evening she stood looking at the 
brilliant full moon and her soul was filled with a joy she had never felt 
before. 

At last she broke forth into a wild, glad song. Her friends gathered 
round and wondered at the wildness of her chant and the ethereal appear- 
ance of her form. As they looked, they were spell-bound to see her rise 
slowly through the air and disappear from view. Presently they beheld 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 377 

her clasped in the embraces of the moon; they recognized her by the 
robe of a spotted fawn which she wore while on the earth. 

One winter a great famine visited the Ojibways, and the cold was so 
intense that even the white bear was afraid to leave his hiding place. It 
was decided in council that a human sacrifice must be made, and the lot 
fell upon three of the best warriors in the tribe. With true Indian stoi- 
cism they met their cruel fate at midnight on the summit of a neighbor- 
ing hill. On the following day the weather moderated and game was 
secured in abundance by the hunters, who abandoned themselves to fes- 
tivity and dancing. 

Suddenly, all eyes were fixed upon the Northern sky which was 
suffused with vast changeable light, across which were dancing three 
giant forms of a crimson hue ; they were the spirits of the dead warriors 
who were in the Happy Hunting Grounds reaping the rewards of their 
self-sacrificing act. 

SUN WORSHIP A CENTRAL DOCTRINE. 

Amongst the Natchez Indians sun worship was the central doctrine 
of the national homage. The government was a solar hierarchy, and 
the chief was called the sun's brother. Most Indians believe that eclipses 
are caused by some manitou, or spirit, mischievously intercepting the 
light. The great occultation of the sun, on the 16th of June, 1806, 
occurred a few days after the death of Little Beard, an Iroquois chief. 
The savages, much alarmed, ran together to consult, and came to the 
conclusion that the trouble must be caused by the spirit of Little Beard 
on account of some old grudge which he still bore them. 

Thereupon they ran for their guns and maintained a ceaseless fire 
until the eclipse was over, in order to frighten away the ghost who, they 
supposed, was endeavoring to obscure the sun so that their corn might 
not grow, and they would be reduced to starvation. 

The tribes personified evil by various demons which had a form of 
their own, consisting of various prayers and ceremonies. Among the 
Blackfeet they were worshipped by means of self-inflicted tortures designed 



373 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

to show the evil powers that it was useless to endeavor to torture them 
after death. The Ojibways held that the souls of bad men remained on 
the earth which they called the big plate where the spirits eat. Gocd 
genii, on the contrary, ascended to Heaven by means of an invisible vine, 
the roots of which were in the earth and its top in the sky. 

It has been thought that the earliest theory, among the Indians, of 
the future life was that it formed only a ghostly continuation of this. 
Later came traces of the doctrine of penalties for crime, and sometimes 
a separate habitation for the spirits of the wicked. The Natchez sun 
worshippers consigned the unfaithful guardian of their sacred fire to one 
of the large mounds in their country. 

EXCLUDED FROM THE HAPPY SPIRIT LAND. 

Confined here he is forever excluded from the happy spirit land. 
His occupation is the sisyphean task of attempting to kindle fire by 
rubbing two dry sticks together, and ever as the spark appears a deluge 
of tears escapes him against his will and extinguishes the fire. The 
Sioux think that the suicide is punished by his ghost being compelled 
to drag forever the tree upon which he hung himself. He is, therefore, 
careful to select one as small as possible. 

Students of primitive man tell us that the habit of locating the 
abode of spirits at a distance from those of the living arose from the 
wandering habits of the tribes. At first the spirits hovered about their 
graves, and offerings of food were always made to them there. If, how- 
ever, the tribe departed to a distant abode and failed to remove the bones 
of its ancestors, the dwelling place of the departed would be assigned to 
the old burying spot far away to the east, west, north or south. 

If the band formerly lived in a mountainous region their heaven is 
upon that elevated land or in the sky. If, in its migration it crossed 
a stream, then the spirits of the dead must recross it in their journey 
to the spirit land. Accordingly we find that the Ojibways located their 
heaven for the departed in the west, where live the brave and gcod ; but 
the cowardly and wicked wander about in darkness and misery. 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 379 

The Pottawattomies believe that the souls of their dead must cross 
a large stream by means of a slippery log which rolls so that many fall 
into the water The Ojibways think that the river is crossed by walking 
upon the back of a large serpent. By the side of the road which leads 
to the land of the departed lies a huge strawberry which affords the spirits 
refreshment on their way. 

It is the opinion of the Blackfeet that their spirits must climb a 
lofty mountain before they can view their future eternal home. Those 
who have killed any member of their tribe, and women guilty of infanti- 
cide never reach the summit, but wander about the earth with branches 
of mountain pine attached to their legs. The cries of unhappy souls 
are often heard by the Blackfeet. He who has destroyed his neighbor's 
canoe stumbles over its wreck, which he is unable to pass. 

HEAVEN IN SUNSHINE AND FLOWERS. 

The Chippewa, dwelling in a coldclime, finds his heaven in a warm, 
flowery land where no rude winds blow or icy tempests beat. A magic 
stone canoe speeds him over the river of death. Those who have wasted 
game or provisions in this life will sink the canoe and drown in the 
stream which is already black with the heads of punished sinners. In 
order that bad spirits may not carry off the souls of the deceased, the 
YVinnebagoes allow their fires to burn on the graves for four nights after 
burial ; and keep the grass dug up so that the evil genii can have 
nothing to cling to. 

The savage has faith in demoniacal possession. He believes that 
the shooting pains which attend the toothace are produced by the spirit 
of the woodpecker. Neill relates that an old Sioux, whose son had sore 
eyes, said that nearly thirty years before, when his son was a boy, he 
speared a minnow through the eye by means of a pin attached to a stick; 
but it was strange that the fish after so long a time should seek revenge 
on his sou's eyes. The Omahas thought that an eructation was caused 
by an escape of the evil spirit of some creature, and on such an occasion 
always say "Thank you animal." 



3S0 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

Let us look at some of the nature-divinities of the Indians. The 
mythology of the northern tribes included giants called Waindegoos. 
They were as tall as the loftiest pine trees, and passed through forests 
as a man walks through grass. There was also the one-footed giant, 
Aggodagoda, who hopped over rivers and valleys at a single leap. Wah- 
keenyan is the name of a Sioux god whose tepee is on a mound on the 
summit of a high mountain in the far west. Each of its four doors are 
guarded by sentinels consisting of a butterfly, bear, fawn and reindeer, 
and all clothed in red down. 

The creator-god of the Sioux is Unktaykee. His method of forming 
man was to take a deity (one of his own offspring), and, grinding him to 
powder, sprinkled it upon the earth, from which many worms sprang up 
and erew into men. It is also the belief of this tribe that the bones of 
the mastodon are those of Unktaykee. Morgan's Bluff, near Fort Snell- 
ing, is his residence. 

A CURIOUS DEITY. 

One of their curious deities is Heyoka, the anti-natural god, which 
has four forms : i. A tall, slender man with two faces, holding a bow 
streaked with red lightning and a rattle of deer's claws ; 2. A little old 
man with a cocked hat and enormous ears, who grasps a yellow bow ; 3. 
A figure with a flute suspended from his neck ; 4. The invisible zephyr, 
which moves the grass and causes the rippling of the waters. Heyoka 
is the embodiment of incongruities. 

He calls bitter sweet, and vice versa ; he groans when he is filled 
with joy, and laughs when he is in pain ; in winter he goes naked, and 
in summer wraps himself in buffalo robes. Those inspired by him can 
make the wind and the rain obey their commands. For an arrow-point 
he uses a frog ; for weapons, the meteors and the lightnings ; and he 
keeps a park of animals for his amusement. 

The tribes of Lower California had a deity named Makelay, who 
moved as swift as the wind by means of great leaps ; and the sight of 
him was death to mortals. 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 381 

The natives of North California adored the Pleiades, or seven stars, 
and held this tradition about them : They were named Hohgates, and 
formerly inhabited the earth as famous hunters of seals ; they left the 
immense bed of mussel-shells near Crescent City. One day, as they 
were out in their boat, they struck a huge sea lion with their harpoon, 
and standing by their line, were dragged with fearful speed towards a 
great whirlpool that lay to the northwest, where spirits shiver in dark- 
ness and cold. Just as the boat reached the maelstrom, the rope broke 
and the monster was swept alone into the eddy, while the canoe rose 
rapidly upward into the sky and the Hohgates became the seven stars. 

While the worship of idols was not general among the wild tribes 

of North America, there were some instances of it. The Mandans 

howled, whimpered and addressed prayers to puppets made of grass and 

skins. 

"THE DOLL OF SORROW." 

Upon the death of a child among the Ojibways, some of its hair is 
cut off and made into a little puppet, which they call the doll of sorrow, 
and regard it as being animated by the child's spirit. The mother 
carries it with her wherever she goes, places it by the fire, speaks ten- 
derly to it, and ties toys and other articles to it for its use. 

A widow often carries a bundle made of the clothing of her deceased 
husband. It is called as such, and, when gifts are distributed, receives 
its share. She is never seen without this rag-husband, and is compelled 
to carry it until some of his kinsmen take it away. Some Indian 
mothers go through the ceremony of nursing the image of their dead 
child for a year. The Knisteneaux killed their aged parents, but always 
made a representation of them out of a bunch of feathers, which they 
regard with great veneration. Many Indians formed rude wooden 
statues of the dead, which they placed at the grave. 

Remarkable stones were worshipped by the savages, and always had 
traditions connected with them. At Chinook Point, in Washington 
Territory, two immense rocks are pointed out by the red men, who assert 
that they are metamorphosed giants, and tell the following story con- 



382 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORT.I AMERICA. 

cerning them : One day, one of them was wading in Shoalwater Bay for 
crabs when he was seized and devoured by an aquatic monster. 

His brother called their companions to his aid, and they determined 
to evaporate the water of the bay, for which purpose they collected 
colossal heaps of dry pines, firs and spruces. Heating huge stones in 
the fire made by these, they threw them into the water and caused it to 
disappear into vapor. At the bottom the sea monster was discovered, 
killed and ripped open, thus releasing the imprisoned giant, who, with 
his companions, were soon after transformed into rocks. 

FEMALE FIGURE OF STONE. 

Schoolcraft tells the following legend of stone-metamorphosis : "An 
Indian, while passing across Winnebago Lake on a charming summer 
day, espied at a distance on the water before him a beautiful female form 
standing partly immersed. Her eyes shone with a wonderful brilliancy, 
and she held in her hand a lump of glittering gold. He immediately 
paddled toward the attractive object, but as he drew near he could per- 
ceive that its shape and complexion were gradually changing , her eyes 
no longer shone brightly ; her face lost the ruddy glow of life ; her arms 
imperceptibly vanished, and when he reached the spot where she stood, 
he found it a monument of stone having a human face, but with the fins 
and tail of a fish. 

" For a long time he sat in amazement, fearing either to touch the 
superhuman object or to turn and leave it. At length, after making an 
offering of the incense of tobacco and addressing it as the guardian 
angel of his country, he ventured to lay his hand upon the statue to lift 
it into his canoe when it disappeared." 

Some natives looked upon all stones as metamorphosed men. The 
Lake Superior Indians regarded masses of native copper with the venera- 
tion bestowed on fetiches. 

There are a few traces of cannibalism among the red men. Like 
scalping, it was fetichistic and animistic in its nature. To eat one's 
enemy was to possess one's self of his valor and brave spirit. The 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 383 

Ojibways had a tradition concerning a ghostly cannibal, a sort of ghonl, 
who resided on an imaginary island in the centre of Lake Superior. He 
had the form of a human being, with long nails which enabled him to 
dig np dead bodies to devour. He travelled from place to place with 
lightning speed ; and whenever the Indians heard a strange noise they 
said it was the ghostly cannibal hurrying to his island home after a 
banquet upon the dead. He was once a man, they believed, and was 
doomed to this fate for having once killed and eaten the bodv of a youth 
who was the last representative of a once powerful tribe. 

Another of their mythical cannibals was a giant who came from the 
north and asked for food in a village bordering on the Lake of the 
Woods. A feast was prepared for him and, when all was ready, he, dis- 
daining the wild rice and the meat, fell upon those who had assembled 
and, with one exception, devoured them all. The one who escaped 
carried revenge in his breast. 

THE GREAT CANNIBAL GIANT. 

When he became a great hunter he invited the cannibal giant to a 
sumptuous repast and placed in his bowl of soup a bitter root which 
induced drowsiness and weakness. When, then, this ghoul had lain 
down upon his robe of weasel skins and thrown over his head his net 
woven by a mammoth spider, the guests fell upon him and despatched 
him with their clubs. 

The Brazilians had human flesh, salted and smoked, hung up in 
their houses. Children were raised by their captives from women of the 
tribe for the express purpose of being eaten. The women, in their 
Thyestean banquets, were as ravenous for human flesh as the men ; and 
even the children had the tongue and brains for their share. The Portu- 
guese once offered to rescue a female from a feast at which she was to be 
sacrificed, but she replied that she preferred to be buried in the bellies 
of her lords and masters whom she loved. 

The Mexicans were cannibals from religious motives. Men followed 
the armies for the purpose of feeding upon the bodies of the freshly 



384 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

slain. In the towns were wooden cages where the captives were 
imprisoned and fattened for table delicacies. The natives of Honduras 
declared that the Spaniards were too tough and bitter to be eaten. The 
Mosquito men never gave quarter to any of their enemies but women. 
In taking males and children captives they make what they call a 
barbacue, consisting of stakes placed in the form of a gridiron, upon 
which they roast their victims. Before cooking a prisoner, the fiends 
draw out the finger and toe nails and knock out the teeth, all of which 
they preserve and wear about their necks. 

"EATING OF THE GOD." 

Out of this curious superstition that the spirit of anything eaten 
passed into the body of the one who devoured it, arose, amongst the 
natives of Mexico, a singular ceremony resembling the Roman Catholic 
Eucharist. The rite was called Teoquals, "the eating of the god." A 
figure of the god Huitzilopoohtli was made out of dough, and, after 
certain ceremonies, they pretended to kill and eat it. Herrera describes 
another of these religious exercises. An idol was made of all the varie- 
ties of seeds and grains in the country, and moistened with the blood of 
children and virgins ; it was then broken into small bits and given to 
men and women to eat, who, to prepare for the sacred ceremony, bathed 
and dressed their heads, and scarcely slept during the night. They 
prayed, and as soon as it was day, were all in the temple to receive that 
communion with such profound silence that though an immense multi- 
tude had assembled there seemed to be no one present. Any part of 
the idol that remained was eaten by the priests. Montezuma attended 
this ceremony accompanied by many persons of high rank richly 
dressed. 

The Aborigines, believing that animals possessed intelligent souls 
and took an interest in the affairs of men, paid the most careful and 
respectful attention to their voices which were interpreted as auguries 
and omens. The Camanches regarded the wolf as their brother and 
believed that it warned them of danger by its barking or howling. 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 385 

The cawing of a crow at night is sufficient to cause an entire band of 
Indians to forsake the war-path and run to their homes in dismay. 

Amongst the Ojibways, the barking of foxes and wolves, the bleat- 
ing of deer, the screeching of owls, the flight of unusual birds or the 
moaning of a partridge, were evil predictions, the last two being certain 
omens of death. But the circling flight of an eagle or the noise of a 
raven were harbingers of good. The Indians of St Catherine's Island, 
on the Pacific Coast, had in the court of their rude temple, two crows 
which were their oracles, and were filled with consternation when these 
were killed by the Spaniards. 

If a Seminole learns that a species of quail, called waukawis, has 
perched upon his roof during the night, he at once prepares to die. If 
a white bird flies before the traveller in the evening, throwing itself from 
one wing upon another, danger is foretold. 

FINDING THE TUTELAR ANIMAL. 

As the reader is aware, the tutelar divinity of most Indians, their 
guardian manitou was the spirit of some animal which they had seen in 
sleep during a fast. The Indians of California, in order to discover the 
particular animal that was to be the future manitou of a child, were 
accustomed to intoxicate it with a plant called " pibat " and keep it without 
food three or four days until it saw its tutelar animal, which was then 
immediately tattooed on its breast and arms. 

The Zapotecs employed the following curious method of disclosing 
the guardian divinity : When a woman was on the point of being 
delivered, they assembled in the hut and drew upon the floor figures of 
animals which they continually erased as fast as formed. The one 
pictured upon the floor at the moment of delivery was declared to be the 
child's manitou. Still another way was to note the first animal that 
appeared after the birth of the child. The Indians say that they can 
see no difference between their system of animal guardians and that of 
the Americans and English who have for their manitous the eagle and 
the lion respectively. 

25 



386 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

The totemic or heraldic method of the red men has been already- 
spoken of. It has a religious origin and is connected with the worship 
of manitous. 

The California Indians claimed to be descended from the prairie 
wolf; and explained the loss of their tails by saying that they had been 
worn away by their habit of sitting upright. The Kickapoos thought 
their ancestors had had tails ; but having lost them, the impudent fox 
would ask every morning how their tails were ; whereat, the bears shook 
their fat sides with laughter. 

The Flatheads asserted that their grandfathers were spiders and 
spun threads by which the spirits of the dead might descend to the 
earth. An Ojibway band, called the Crane tribe, believed their ances- 
tors to have been metamorphosed from the animal from which they take 
their name. Some of the Ottawas had for a totem the hare. Their great 
hare-forefather was so large that he was able to spread nets at a depth 
of one hundred and eight feet, while the water came only to his arm- 
pits. 

ANCESTRY OF ANIMALS. 

Descendants of those who had animal names, or employed them for 
their totems, or symbolic devices, came to regard the progenitors as 
having themselves been animals ; and where there were traditions of the 
intermarrying of these creatures, the source is undoubtedly to be found 
in the manitou or totemic systems. Take the following story as an 
illustration : A famous chief of the Kootanies had a beautiful daughter 
who was courted by all the young men and animals, (for in those days 
they had one speech in common). 

The parent promised his daughter to any one who would, with his 
hands, split the tines of an elk-horn asunder. All the suitors assembled 
until the lodge was full. The bears sat growling in one corner, the 
wolves in another. In vain each tried the feat. At length the salmon 
came in, and all ridiculed the idea of his accomplishing what the strong 
animals had failed in. But he was favored by the maid, and her prayers 
in his behalf were heard ; his efforts were crowned with success. 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 387 

But the wolf determined to carry off the bride who, as she was being 
borne away, tore off pieces of her dress in order that Kewuk, the salmon, 
could trace her, which he did ; but on being pursued by the young wolf 
and his father, he jumped into the river with his bride who was turned 
into a salmon. 

The Neeshenams have a similar myth. They relate that the coyote 
and the bat were one day gathering the soft-shelled nuts of the sugar 
pine, when they met two women who were the wives of pigeons. There- 
upon, the coyote, with a handful of pitch, overspread the bat's eyes so 
that he could not see, and then eloped with the two females. 

The Indians of Queen Charlotte's Island paint themselves black in 
token of their descent from the crow. No savage ever killed or ate the 
particular animal that formed his individual manitou or tribal totem. 

ADORNMENTS FOR DWELLINGS. 

Much of the art of the Indian grew out of the totemic system. At 
Fort Tongas, in Alaska, there is quite a little forest of totem poles, often 
from sixty to seventy feet high, and each carved from top to bottom with 
strange forms. The Thlinkeets adorned the fronts of their chief dwell- 
ings and their canoes with the figures of the heads of bears, sea-lions 
and crows. Totemism is also connected with the pictography and hiero- 
glyphic writing of the Indians, for the chiefs often used their totems as 
a signature. Tattooing the body with the figures of animals was 
fetichistic and totemic in its origin. Amongst the Canadian red men, 
the manitou and the tribal totem were indelibly marked upon the body, 
as were also all of the warrior's remarkable exploits, so that his body pre- 
sented a pictorial record of his life. 

I have already noticed many myths concerning the belief of the 
Indians in their descent from animals. There are also numerous stories 
of metamorphosis. The natives of Vancouver's Island will not kill the 
"ogress squirrel" on account of the following tradition: There was 
once an old woman, with claw-like finger-nails, who ate children. One 
day a child was seized by her, and, while the mother was praying to the 



388 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

gods for its deliverance, lo ! it slipped from the grasp of the monster in 
the form of a lovely little squirrel having four dark lines along its back 
where the claws of the ogress had made their mark. 

Among the Indians of British Columbia, stories were told of were- 
wolves that many times had been seen on the mountain side, sitting 
round a fire with their skins hung upon sticks to dry. The Ojibways 
believed the robin to be a metamorphosed woman who painted her breast, 
and, laughing, flew away, telling her friends that she would return in 
the spring. The Indians living about the Falls of St. Anthony thought 
that the souls of their dead warriors inhabited the eagles that perched 
among the trees there, and would not upon any account touch one of 
them. The most beautiful woman of the Knisteneaux, named "Foot-of- 
the-Fawn," died in child-birth, the babe expiring with her. Soon after 
two doves appeared, one full grown, the other small ; these were the 
spirits of the mother and child. 

TEMPLE FOR A SHELL. 

The Omahas paid deep reverence to a shell which was enveloped in 
the skin of an elk ; it had a temple, and a person to watch over it and 
was never permitted to touch the earth. Sacrifices were made to it, and 
it was consulted before going into battle. Another tradition is of a little 
man, named Aisemid, who carried on his back a curious magic shell. 

According to the Gallinomeros, of California, animals existed before 
there was light upon the earth. One day the hawk, by accident, flew 
into the face of the coyote ; apologies and discussions followed, and it 
was decided that they must have light. Accordingly the coyote pre- 
pared a ball of some inflammable material, and some pieces of flint ; the 
hawk took them in its claws and, flying into the sky, struck fire with 
the flints, ignited the ball and sent it rolling through the sky where it 
remains to this day. The Tolowas say the spiders wove a gossamer 
balloon with which they flew away to the moon and obtained fire for 
them. The Cahrocs tell that the coyote opened up the Klamath for the 
salmon to come through to the starving people. 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 389 

The Indians about Clear Lake thus account for the presence of its 
fish : The coyote, after eating a great quantity of grasshoppers, filled 
himself with the waters of the lake, and lay down to sleep. Someone 
thrusting him through with a spear, the water and grasshoppers ran out 
into the basin of the lake, where the insects were turned into fish. 

Some of the Western Indians have a tradition concerning an immense 
invisible eagle which sails in the air and carries a lake of water on its 
back. When the aerial monster claps his wings, peals of thunder roll 
over the earth ; if he blinks, it lightens ; when he shakes his tail, the 
waters of the lake overflow and form rain. 

ANIMALS PAINTED ON ROCKS AND SHELLS. 

Many compound monsters and hybrid animals have been carved and 
painted upon the rocks and cliffs by the aborigines. Fathers Marquette 
and Hennepin thus describe one of them : "As we coasted along rocks 
frightful in their height and length, we saw painted on one of them two 
monsters which startled us at first, and upon which the boldest Indian 
dare not gaze long. They are as large as a calf, with horns on the head 
like a deer ; a face somewhat like a man's ; bearded like a tiger ; with 
eyes red, and altogether a fearful look ; the body is covered with scales ; 
the extremity is so long that it twice makes the turn of the body, passing 
over the head down between the legs, and ending at last in a fish's tail. 
Green, red and a kind of black are the colors employed. 

"On the whole these two monsters are so well executed that we 
could not believe any Indian to have been the designer, as good painters 
in France would find it difficult to do as well ; besides, they are so high 
on the rock that it is not easy to reach the spot in order to paint them." 

The Iroquois told of flying heads of monstrous size, enveloped in 
beards and hair of flaming fire. All animals which the Indians see for 
the first time are objects of superstitious fear. Catlin tells us that once 
in a Minitaree village a great sensation was created by the appearance 
of a small creature bearing some resemblance to a ground-squirrel, but 
with a long, round tail. 



390 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

This mysterious visitor was observed creeping slyly about among 
the pots and kettles of the chiefs wigwam. The savages regarded it as 
great medicine and no one dared to touch it. After solemn councils had 
been held, and decrees issued for its protection, a fur-trader came along 
and told them it was a rat that had emigrated with the whites. 

In the year 1858, an Indian having caught a large fish at the mouth 
of Q'Appelle River, and never having seen its like pronounced it to be 
a manitou, restored it to the water and sacrificed five dogs to appease its 
wrath. 

De Solis gives us the following Mexican tradition : " Certain fisher- 
men near the lake of Mexico took a monstrous fowl of extraordinary 
form and size. Its deformity was horrible and on its head was a shin- 
ing plate like a looking-glass, from which the sun reflected a dim light. 
Montezuma, drawing near, saw within it a representation of night and a 
heaven covered with stars. Looking into the glass a second time, he 
saw an army of men coining from the Bast making a terrible slaughter 
of his subjects. When the magician priests came to examine, and had 
tried experiments, it escaped with astonishing flight." 

The Brazilians have a myth of a Gorgon bird with an evil eye that 
killed with a look. The ground under its nest was white with human 
bones. They say that a hunter once succeeded in killing one of them 
without its eye being turned upon him. His wife one day, accidently 
and unwittingly moved the head so that the eye rested, first upon her 
husband, then upon herself, and killing them both. 

INDIAN NAMES. 

Indians have no family or surnames, each individual claiming but 
one title. In childhood he receives some pet or nickname which is likely 
to be changed many times, either by himself or others. After any 
important personal exploit he is apt to give himself an appellation 
expressive of self-approbation. 

But notwithstanding these additions and changes (which, by the 
way, reminded one of Egyptian monumental inscriptions), some one 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 391 

title given to him in his early career as a warrior is apt to cling to him 
and form the name by which he is known throughout the tribe. Those 
taken by themselves are generally adopted from the habits of animals 
and refer to some signal exploit; as, for instance, " The-wolf-that-lies- 
down," " The-man-that-stands-alone-on-the-ground," etc. 

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE CREEKS AND MUSCOGEES. 

A sketch of the manners and customs of the red men of America 
must include some account of those Southern Indians on the Atlantic 
and Pacific sides of the continent (the Creeks and Navajoes respectively), 
who rose a step above the purely wild tribes and attained, by spontaneous 
development, some of the rudiments of civilization. We may first look 
at the Creek nation who formerly dwelt in the valley of the great rivers 
of Alabama and Georgia, and shall consider them as they were in the 
last decade of the last century. 

The ancestors of the Creeks were the Seminoles, who, their traditions 
say, migrated from a far region in the northwest, dispossessed the Florida 
and Apalachian tribes of their ancestral lands, and finally exterminated 
them. The word Seminole means wanderer. The newcomers, after a 
time, finding the country insufficient for their support, bodies of them 
moved northward and formed the Creek tribes, incorporating with them- 
selves the Alabamas, whom they had conquered. They became a very 
powerful and warlike people, much respected by neighboring tribes. 
Their country was a fertile and beautiful one, admirably adapted to the 
development of fine physiques and intellectual and prosperous commu- 
nities. 

The region abounds in noble rivers and great forests liberally 
stocked with fish and game, while the climate is mild and agreeable. 
Under such favorable circumstances we are not surprised to find the 
strong old Seminole lineage developing powerful communities removed 
a step or two from barbarism. 

In 1 79 1, the government of the Creeks was a kind of military 
democracy. The head of the nation was a chief called Steutsacco- 



392 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

Choota, or, " The Great Beloved Man." His influence consisted rather in 
the right of advising than commanding, and he was respected solely on 
account of his superior wisdom. 

Each town had its chief, or mico, and some experienced war leaders. 
It had also what were called "beloved second men," whose business was 
to regulate the police of the towns and public buildings. They were 
generally men of the' best memories and oratorical powers, capable of 
telling stories and giving the best account of ancient customs. 

Previous to 1782, the micos were superior in authority to the war 
leaders, being also once the rulers of the "white towns" or sacred 
cities of refuge for prisoners who escaped thither. But in that year the 
great beloved man, McGillivray, effected a revolution by which he 
placed the warriors over the micos in power. 

SECURING UNITED ACTION. 

This step he considered necessary in order to secure united action 
against the Georgian whites as, he was waging war against them, after 
the abandonment of his nation by the British, with whom the Creeks 
had been for many years on the best of terms, dividing their allegiance 
between them and the French in Louisiana. 

After McGillivray's reconstruction measures (which were not 
effected without a struggle and several executions) the government was 
of the following character : The leaders and principal warriors being 
called together by the chief, assembled annually to deliberate on public 
affairs. They met in the public square of some principal town, drank 
the " black drink " and exchanged tobacco and ideas. 

A spirit of extreme democratic independence prevailed, and no 
individual could be forced to take part in any warlike expedition. But 
there was, in general, little need of persuasion to induce the braves to 
take the war-path after scalps or plunder. 

The young men, until they had by their exploits proved themselves 
worthy of the name of warrior, remained in a sort of disgrace, being 
obliged to light pipes, bring wood, help cook black drink for the warriors 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 393 

and perform other menial services. But after a successful expedition, 
drawing near his town, he announced his approach by a war whoop that 
could be beard for more than a mile, and his friends went out to meet 
him. 

The scalp he had taken was then hung upon a red painted wand or 
divided amongst his friends ; be was in every respect recognized as a 
brave soldier, and permitted to participate in the ceremony of the black 
drink. Those wbo returned without a scalp were called " old women," 
a term of great reproach, as was also the phrase, " you are nobody." 

The war parties of the Creeks seldom consisted of more than forty, 
fifty or sixty men, tbe usual number being smaller. When warmly 
attacked, tbe band would content itself with one scalp which was divided 
amongst them. 

PUNISHMENT FOR HORSE STEALERS. 

When the inhabitants of any particular town became obnoxious on 
account of horse stealing, McGillivray removed the white trader who 
lived with them, which was the greatest punishment that could be 
inflicted upon them. For constabulary purposes he employed a number 
of young relatives, and several active warriors living about Little Tal- 
lossie, who sometimes acted as executioners also. 

The smallest of the towns of the Creeks contained from twenty to 
thirty houses ; many of the largest had from one hundred and fifty to 
two hundred. The dwellings stood in clusters of from four to eight, 
irregularly distributed along the banks of the rivers and smaller streams. 
Each town boasted of a public square, a "chungke yard," and a heated 
public inn — a sort of hot house or "calidarium." The principal towns num- 
bered about seventy-two and contained perhaps about twenty-six thousand 
souls. Living amongst them were several hundreds of white renegades 
— enough to contaminate all the rest. 

The public squares, placed near the center of each town, were of 
four buildings of equal size, facing inwards, and enclosing an area of 
about thirty feet on each side. These structures were made of the same 



394 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

material as their dwelling houses, but differed in having the front facing 
the square left entirely open ; and the walls of the back sides bad a 
space of about two feet next to the eaves to admit a circulation of air. 

Each of the houses was partitioned into three apartments, making 
twelve in all, which w r ere called the cabins. The divisions were of clay 
and reached only as high as the shoulders of a man when sitting. 
Each cabin had three seats, or platforms, broad enough to sleep upon ; 
the first was raised about two feet from the ground ; the second was eight 
inches higher, and the third eight inches above that. They were joined 
together by a covering of cane-mats as large as carpets. 

The custom was to renew them each year previous to the ceremony 
of the busk ; and as the old ones were always allowed to remain, there were 
frequently as many as ten or twelve mats laid one upon the other. 

ARRANGEMENT OF BUILDINGS. 

The buildings were usually squared to the chief points of the 
compass ; the center cabin on the east side was always allotted to the 
beloved, or first men of the town, and was called " the beloved seat." 
Three cabins on the south side belonged to the most distinguished 
warriors, and those on the opposite side to the second men and others. 
The western section was appropriated to the lumber and apparatus 
used in concocting the black drink, war physic, etc. On a post or plank 
over each of the cabins were painted the symbols or totems of the family 
to whom it w r as allotted ; these were generally the figures of animals. 

Under the roofs of the houses were suspended a miscellaneous col- 
lection of emblems and trophies of peace and war, such as eagles' 
feathers, swans' wings, remnants of scalps, red painted wands, war 
clubs, wooden scalping knives, bunches of hoops, on which to dry scalps, 
bundles of snake root, war physic, baskets, etc. 

In the red or war towns some of these enclosures are called painted 
squares, all the smooth timber being colored red, with white or black 
edges. This was deemed a peculiar and honorary mark of distinction. 
Other towns had the privilege of covering their squares with a scaffold- 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 395 

ing of poles, overspread with loose canes, and extending over the entire 
area between the houses. 

Traveling Indians who had no relatives in the place were allowed to 
sleep in these retreats ; this was an ancient form of hospitality. Poor 
old men and women, suffering for lack of clothing, were privileged to 
sleep in the "hot-houses," or calidariums, of their towns. These were 
perfect pyramids, about twenty-five feet in height, and on a circular base 
of the same diameter. The clay walls were about six feet high and 
tapered regularly to the top, being covered round with tufts of bark. 
Inside, was a broad circular seat made of canes and attached to the walls 
all around. 

The fire was in the centre of the house which, having no ventilator, 
seemed almost intolerably hot to the whites. The Indians used the 
house chiefly for dances, and amid the smoke, dust and heat, seemed 
always perfectly comfortable. They had become accustomed to such 
stifling surroundings. 

WHERE PUBLIC MEETINGS WERE HELD. 

The square was the place for all public meetings of a ceremonial 
character. If a man died in the town, the enclosure was hung full of 
withered green boughs, in token of mourning, and no black drink was 
taken within it for the space of four days. If any warrior lost his life 
through violence, outside of the town, the black drink was taken, but on 
the outer grounds of the square ; and every ceremony in its usual form 
was laid aside until the death was atoned for. 

Each of these places had a black drink cook and two or three 
young warriors to assemble the people whenever the beverage was to be 
taken. 

Every square had, besides the "hot-house," a "ckungke-yard" 
(used for dances when the weather was pleasant), situated at the south- 
west corner ; and, in the northwest angle was a May-pole, with a large, 
circular, beaten yard around it. 

The ceremony of the black drink was a semi-military, semi-religious 



396 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

custom. The beverage itself was a strong decoction of the shrub com- 
mon in the Caroliuas by the name of Cassina, or the Uupon tea. 

The leaves were collected ; parched in a pot until brown ; boiled 
over a fire in the centre of the square ; dipped out, and poured from one 
pan, or cooler, into another, thus alternating until it produced, by fer- 
mentation, a large quantity of white froth, to which the Indians ascribed 
purifying qualities, and which they called the white drink. The liquor 
itself, when strong, was nearly as black as molasses. It was a gentle 
diuretic, and, if taken in large quantities, affected the nerves. 

A REMARKABLE KIND OF DRINK. 

Excepting rum, there was no drink of which the Creek Indians were 
so fond. The religious beliefs connected with it were ; that it purified 
from all sin ; that it inspired them with invincible prowess in war ; and 
that it was the only strong promoter of the virtues of benevolence, 
friendship and hospitality. They seemed to regard themselves as pecu- 
liarly favored by the Great Spirit in the matter of this drink ; and that 
through the potencies and virtues of it they became, in a sense, a chosen 
people. 

The method of partaking of the black drink was as follows : — All 
the warriors being assembled in the square, three young men, acting as 
mastets of ceremony and each having a gourd or calabash filled with the 
liquor, placed themselves in front of the three greatest chiefs and 
announced their readiness by the word " choh !" 

After a short pause they, stooping forward, ran up to the braves and 
held the vessel parallel to their mouths ; they received it from the 
youths ; waited until they fell back, and began to give the " yohullah," 
or black drink note ; then they at once placed the calabash to their lips 
and were obliged to drink as long as the aspiration of the young men 
continued, which occupied nearly half a minute, since, when the breath 
was exhausted, the note was prolonged on a finer key until the lungs 
were no longer inflated. 

As the sound ceased, the cup was taken from the mouth of the chief. 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 397 

The youths then passed the beverage to the other warriors, giving them 
the word " choh," but not the " yohullah " note, to which none were 
entitled but the great men whose abilities were rated, on this occasion* 
according to the capacities of their stomachs to hold the liquor. 

The drink was generally served three times during a meeting. In 
the intervals the men sat in their cabins around the square, chatting, 
smoking and disgorging liquor. This part of the ceremony was the 
least attractive and formed a comical conclusion, certainly. In " spout- 
ing " the black drink, the warrior hugged his arms across his stomach, 
leaned forward and threw the liquor out from his mouth in a large stream 
to a distance of six or eight feet. After a drink the doughty braves 
could be seen on all sides spouting in as artistic a manner as possible, 
for the ability to perform this portion of the service creditably was con- 
sidered a great accomplishment. 

MOST SOLEMN CEREMONY. 

The ceremony of the Busk was the most important and solemn rite 
of the Creeks, being the sacrifice of the first fruits and always observed 
about harvest time. When the corn was ripe and the cassina or black 
drink plant, full grown, the priest, or "firemaker," appointed a morning 
for the beginning of the devotional exercises, which lasted four days. 
This rite, it will be seen, was strikingly similar, in fact identical, with 
those of purification as practised by so many European and Asiatic 
people. 

On the morning of the first day the priest, clothed in white leather 
moccasins and stockings, with a white dressed deerskin over his shoulders, 
repaired unattended, at break of day, to the square. His first task was 
to create the new fire by rubbing two dry sticks together, which being 
accomplished, four young men entered at the openings of the four corners 
of the square, each having a stick of wood for the new fire. After it was 
well burning four other youths approached in like manner, each bearing 
a fine large ear of new Indian corn which the priest took from them with 
much solemnity and laid on the coals, where they were consumed. 



398 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

Then came still another male quartette, carrying in their hands a 
quantity of new cassina, a small portion of which was placed upon the 
fire by the priest, and the remainder parched and boiled for use. During 
these formalities he is continually muttering some mysterious jargon 
which is understood by no one, but is supposed to be some sort of com- 
munication with the Great Master of Breath. 

Then came the men who drank the black drink as usual. The new 
fire was then carried by the women to their houses, which had, the day 
before, been thoroughly cleaned and garnished with green boughs ; all 
the old fire had been removed and the hearth swept clean of its ashes. 

DANCING OUTSIDE THE SQUARE. 

During the first day, the women and children were suffered to dance 
on the outside of the square, but were by no means allowed to enter it. 
The men kept by themselves and slept in the enclosure. The second 
day was, by the male participants, devoted to taking their war-physic, 
a strong decoction of the buttonsnake root, or senneca, which they often 
used in such quantities as to injure their health by producing spasms. 

The third day was spent by the young men in hunting and fishing. 
During the first three days of busking, the women were constantly 
bathing, and it was unlawful for the men to touch one of them even with 
the tips of the fingers. At this time, also, both sexes abstained rigidly 
from food of any kind, and especially from salt. 

On the fourth day, the entire town, men, women and children, 
assembled in the square and gave themselves up to conviviality and 
rejoicing. All the game killed by the young hunters on the previous 
day was given to the community. Large quantities of new corn and 
other provisions were collected by the women and cooked over the new 
fire. Everywhere in the square stood pots and pans of provisions, and 
the greatest good feeling and festivity prevailed while partaking of the 
o-ood cheer. The ceremony was concluded in the evening by dancing 
and other amusements. All the provisions that remained were the per. 
quisite of the old fire-priest. 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 399 

Courtship was always begun by proxy. The man, if not intimately 
acquainted with the woman of his choice, sent to her, by some woman of 
her acquaintance, his talk (as it was called), together with some present 
of clothing. If she "took his talk," the proxy then proceeded to gain 
the consent of the uncles, aunts and brothers (the father having no voice 
at all in the matter), which being obtained, the marriage ceremony was 
considered completed. 

But if a man marry after the more ancient customs, the affair was 
attended with long and serious formalities. The wooer, to make known 
his wishes, killed a bear and sent a panful of the oil to his beloved. If 
she accepted it, he next attended and helped her hoe the corn in her 
field, planted her beans and set poles for them to run on. The entwin- 
ing of the vines about these poles was thought to be emblematical of 
the peculiarly close and indissoluble nature of their approaching union. 
This form of marriage was deemed far more sacredly binding than the 
other. Indeed, the ordinary method was little more than a temporary 
matter of convenience. 

It appears, therefore, that among the Creek Indians there was some 

acknowledgement of the sacredness of marriage. That the marriage 

relation should be absolutely inviolate among savages, could hardly be 

expected ; indeed, the easy disregard of the marriage tie has become 

common among white people, who would resent being called barbarians. 

According to their teaching and the little light they have, the Indian 

tribes may be said to be no worse than their white neighbors in their 

domestic relations. 

THEIR DEITIES. 

The Creeks believed in a Good Spirit which they called "Hesaka- 
dum Esse" or the " Master of Breath," and a Bad Spirit named "Stefuts 
Asego," or the "Sorcerer." 

They buried their dead in a circular grave dug beneath the floor of 
the cabin. The corpse was placed in a sitting posture, wrapped round 
with a blanket, and its legs bent under it and tied together. If the 
deceased was a warrior, he was painted and the usual articles buried 



400 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

with him. The surface of the grave was covered with canes tied to a 
hoop round the top of the hole ; then a layer of clay was super-imposed, 
sufficient to support the weight of a man. The kinsmen of the dead 
man mourned aud howled publicly for four days. 

If the deceased was a man of eminence the family always left the 
house beneath which he was buried and built a new one, believing that 
the spirit of the dead haunted their former habitation. The Creeks 
differed from most other tribes in their faith in a place of punishment after 
death, in the realm of the Sorcerer, or Devil. But the majority of them 
expected to go to the hunting grounds of the Master of Breath. 

MAGIC WOUNDS. 

Stitches in the side, or slight rheumatic pains were regarded as the 
effect of some magic wound ; they firmly believed that their enemies 
possessed the power of shooting them at a distance of hundreds of miles. 
They often complained of having been shot by a Choctaw or Chickasaw 
from the midst of these nations. For relief, they sought their quack 
doctors, male or female, who professed to heal them by means of incan- 
tations. 

The remedy for these magic wounds was usually blood letting by 
scratching or cupping. Then, after the physician had sucked the 
afflicted part, he, or she, produced from the mouth some fragment of 
a bullet or a piece of a gun wad to confirm the truth of her or his asser- 
tions. Afterwards, a few draughts of magic physic were administered. 

The women were called " wenches," and were the servile class, per- 
forming all the hard labor. Beauty was held of little or no account in 
either sex. The husband and wife occupied separate lodges (each family 
being provided with two). She cooked the food and did the work of the 
family in her own apartment, seldom coming to that of her husband 
except when she brought him his meals. 

There was no such thing as chastity among the Creeks, except in 
the case of those married by the ancient and sacred forms. 

The ordinary marriage was binding for one year only. If, in this 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 401 

time, a couple wished to separate they could do so, but neither was 
allowed to be intimate with another person. 

A plurality of wives was allowed ; and old men who had had many 
of them in different places did not know their own children. Few women 
had more than two children by the same father. By this confusion and 
intermixture of blood, a whole tribe soon became bound together in a 
complex system of relationship, each one beiug the relative of every- 
body else. 

Their mode of punishing a child was singular. The mother 
scratched its legs with the point of a pin or needle, or with the toothed 
jaw of a gar-fish until the blood flowed. They asserted that this method 
of correction had several good effects ; that, besides deterring the child 
from mischief, it loosened the skin and gave pliancy to the limbs ; the 
sight of blood flowing from the wound served to convince it that the 
loss was not necessarily attended with danger, and thus prepared him 
for future battles with his enemies. 

Scratching was also practiced among the young warriors ; but this 
occurred more frequently during their drunken frolics than at any other 
time. After exchanging, in a maudlin way, vows of inviolable attach- 
ment, they would lacerate themselves until they were covered with blood 
from shoulders to heels. 

ARTS AND MANUFACTURES IN J79J. 

The Creeks, previous to 1791, were as poor, proud and self-opin- 
ionated as the ancient Spartans, and laughed to scorn any advice relative 
to building better houses or altering their long-established customs. 
Although the British domiciled three gunsmiths among them, and these 
armorers worked in their midst for many years, yet there was no 
instance of any one having ever attempted to learn the art, though its 
extreme value to them as hunters was evident to all. 

McGillivray, the great beloved man, had, as overseer, a person 
named William Walker. He was a blacksmith, and had procured a 
small anvil which, in that country and time, was almost worth its weight 

26 



402 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

in gold. One day a chief, coming to have his gun mended, wanted 
Walker to do the work without receiving pay for it, telling him that he 
ate the food and drank the milk of the great beloved man which ought 
to satisfy him. Upon the blacksmith insisting on his remuneration, 
the chief seized a sledge hammer and broke the anvil to pieces, thus 
depriving himself of subsistence and distressing nearly a third part of 
the nation. 

The Creeks used comparatively few articles of their own manufac- 
ture, and, with the exception of the smoking pipes, these were all made 
by the women. Among the utensils constructed by them were earthen 
pots and pans varying in capacity from one pint to six gallons, but in 
these they betrayed a great lack of taste and invention ; in pattern, the 
vessels were monstrously similar, destitute of handles, and so tapered 
at the base that they could not stand alone, but had to be supported with 
sticks and stones. 

Their method of forming them was by rolling clay between the 
hands and placing the rolls one upon the other, circularly, until they 
had built up a structure resembling a neat coil of small rope. It was 
then pressed inside and out until the proper shape was acquired , after- 
wards it was smoothed, dried in the shade, burned over a blazing fire 
and scraped, when it was ready for use. . 

BASKETS OF CANE SPLINTERS. 

Baskets for gathering corn and fans for winnowing it when shelled 
were made of cane splinters of various sizes. The workmanship of 
these articles was neat, but they had neither covers nor handles. 

Horse ropes or halters, were commonly formed of twisted bark, but 
a superior kind was of silk grass, a species peculiar to the country, and 
which, when dried, resembled coarse flax. For moccasins, stockings, 
boots, and often shirts, they used deer skin tanned or cured by the 
smoke of rotten wood. 

There was one individual, living at Natchez, who manufactured 
black marble pipes. He was the only man who knew where the marble 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 403 

was found, and consequently had the monopoly of the business. His 
pipes were sold for a goodly sum. 

They also made wooden spoons, one of which served for an entire 
family, as they had no regular hours for meals, but as in all Indian 
tribes, each one ate when he was hungry. Their food was meats, and 
corn boiled to a soup with a little lye of wood ashes added to prevent it 
from souring. 

They manufactured oil from hickory nuts, acorns and chestnuts by 

a process of pounding and baking in pans That from the acorn is of a 

beautiful, deep orange color and was esteemed by them as the richest 

and best. 

LIVED IN FRAGILE HUTS. 

The ordinary houses of the Creeks were poor fragile huts which sel- 
dom resisted the weather more than one or two years. Usually they 
were from twelve to eighteen feet long, and from ten to fifteen feet wide ; 
the floors were of earth, the walls, seven or eight feet in height, were 
formed of poles driven into the ground, lathed across with canes slightly 
tied on and filled in with clay. The roofs were made of four or five 
layers of rough shingles which were secured from being blown off by 
long heavy poles laid across and tied with bark or withes. The chim- 
neys were formed of sticks and clay and were built up on the outside of 
the houses. 

On either side of the fire-place were small bunks constructed of cane, 
and containing skins for bedding. Often, however, they slept on the 
floor. By continually shifting their houses the entire town, in the 
course of a few years, would be removed some three or four miles from 
the place where it first stood, and no vestiges of the old houses remained. 

The Tukkabachee town, or clan of Creeks, had seven brass and copper 
plates which they regarded with the greatest veneration and employed in 
their annual " green corn dance." They said they had been handed down 
for many generations, and it was their belief that if any person who had 
not prepared himself by fasting for six or eight days should touch them 
he would certainly die, while sickness and some other calamity would 



404 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

befall the town. It was also deemed unlawful for a woman to look at 
them. 

In 1852, Mr. R. M. Loughridge obtained a view of them. Those of 
brass were circular and very thin, one of them having the letters O E 
stamped in it. The copper ones were strips that looked as if they had 
been cut from some old copper kettle. Mr. Loughridge was inclined to 
believe that the brass plates were not shields, but the covers of metal pots 
taken a great while ago from the Spaniards, perhaps in Florida. 

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE CALIFORNIA INDIANS. 

The men were tall and entirely destitute of clothing, not even wear- 
ing the breech-clout. The women were clad in a short skirt. The hair 
of both sexes was long behind, but cut in front in such a manner as to 
shade the eyes. They tattooed their chins with three lines, and wore 
ear ornaments made of the leg bones of cranes and other birds and 
decorated with carvings. The houses of some were covered with mats, 
of others with mud and grass. 

Their bread was composed of grass-seeds and acorns pounded in 
stone or wooden mortars. In baking it they first smoothed a place on 
the sand, throwing up a circular embankment, into which they poured a 
paste of meal and water. The sand absorbing the moisture left a cake 
over which grass was laid ; on this they built a fire, by which process the 
bread was steamed rather than baked ; but it served to remove the inju- 
rious properties as well as the bitter taste of the acorns. They gathered 
these nuts in the fall in great quantities, preserving them in large 
cylindrical baskets, or stacks, made of willow sticks placed on end 
and bound together by cords of wild hemp. 

Grasshoppers and crickets also formed articles of food. To obtain 
them a dozen or more formed a circle on the prairie, set fire to the grass, 
and then moved toward the centre driving the insects before them into 
the flame which burned off their legs. They were then collected and 
pounded up with some kind of animal fat. 

They manufactured pretty baskets which they often covered with 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 405 

feathers of the duck or the crests of red-headed woodpeckers and bound 
them around the top with beads of their own make. They also wove 
blankets of feathers in which they formed some beautiful designs. 

The first fish of the season was offered to the river deity as a sacri- 
fice. A platform was erected in the middle of the stream and the fish 
hung on a high pole, which was decorated with feathers and other orna- 
ments. The medicine-man, taking his place by the fish, harangued for 
an entire day, and then left it there to decay. 

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE OREGON INDIANS. 

Perhaps the most remarkable and characteristic superstitions of the 
Nez Perces, Cayuse, Walla-walla and Waskon Indians of Oregon are those 
relating to their medicine meu. A universal belief prevails amongst 
them that these important personages have the power to kill those whom 
they choose by the glance of their eyes. When in his presence they 
hide or avert their heads in order to avoid his look. 

If *once possessed of the idea that they are subject to his frowns, 
they refuse to eat, and pine away of starvation and melancholy, thus 
confirming the others in their belief in his power. As a consequence 
the medicine men are very often murdered by the friends and kinsmen 
of the afflicted man in order to save his life. Still, the profession is kept 
full, the very danger with which it is attended seeming to add to its 
attraction. 

The young child-novitiates, or candidates for the vocation, go out 
alone aud fast for several days until they receive a vision, in which the 
spirit of some animal appears to them, becomes their tutelary divinity 
or familiar, and, by its willingness to perform whatever is asked, imparts 
to them his great power. The vision alone, in the opinion of the 
Indians, constitutes them medicine men. 

On reaching manhood the novitiates are formally initiated into their 
sacred profession by a medicine dance in which they imitate the cries of 
certain wild animals and worship their spirits. Should the elk be the 
animal which they had seen in their vision and which had been from 



406 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

childhood their tutelary spirit, they would pour several bucketsful of 
water into a hollow in the centre of the dancing circle, and, whistling 
like the elk, lie down and wallow in the mud. 

There is often much jealousy among these medicine men, who 
cause each other's destruction ; for the Indians are ready at a moment's 
notice to kill them if they think they are employing their necromantic 
arts against them individually or collectively. In one instance a doctor 
of the Nishraws boasted that he held in his power and keeping the 
small pox, then raging among the tribe ; and that he could let loose or 
retain its deadly arrows as he saw fit. 

The people learning this, rose in a body to kill him, tying him by 
the neck to a restive horse and starting it off on a run. These supersti- 
tions of the Indians are exactly paralleled by the Puritans' belief in witch- 
craft two hundred years ago, and civilized society, in its lower strata, is 
still full of similar credences. 

Embalming the dead was formerly a custom of the Flathead and 
Chinook Indians of Oregon, and the bodies so preserved are frequently 
found in secret places. The mummies are strikingly like those of the 
Egyptians — the eyeballs, teeth, muscles, tendons, perfectly preserved; the 
bowels, stomach and liver dried up but not decayed, and the veins 
injected with some preserving liquid. 

The blankets in which they are wrapped were made of threads of 

bark and saturated with some pitchy substance. These embalmed 

bodies are sometimes found in canoes, the Indians of Oregon often 

burying their dead in boats elevated on a platform in some river 

island. 

THE TONKAWAY WOLF-DANCE. 

The Tonkaways think their progenitor came into the world through 
the agency of a wolf, and commemorate the event by a wolf-dance, which 
is celebrated with great secrecy in a large lodge constructed for the pur- 
pose. Admitted to this performance, the spectator sees a number of men 
dressed in wolfskins (head and all complete) going about on all fours, 
and howling like the animal they personate. After a time, one stops, 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 



407 



gives a peculiar sniff, howls and begins scratching. The others gather 
round and also scratch. 

Presently, a genuine, live Tonkaway (having, of course, been 
interred beforehand) is unearthed. A council is then held, and the risen 
Indian says to the others : "You have brought me into the world, and 
I do not know how I shall make a living. It would have been better to 
let me remain as I was. I shall now starve." After mature delibera- 
tion, the wolf-men put a bow and arrow into his hands, and tell him that 
he must rob, kill game and murder, from place to place, and thus secure 
his sustenance. 

The Pueblo Indians of New Mexico hold an intermediate place 
between civilized man and the wild tribes. 
They are in a much more advanced state 
of development than were the Creeks 
during the last century, and are sup- 
posed by some to be connected ethno- 
graphically with the Aztecs and mound- 
builders. They owe some of their arts 
and customs to the Spaniards. Many 
of them have embraced the Catholic faith. 

Altogether, they form the most in- 
teresting study of aboriginal life that 
the continent affords, and their strange " Pueblos," or rock-towns, 
have offered to archaeologists and ethonologists one of the most puzzling 
and mysterious problems in the study of the origin of the autochthonic 
civilizations of the Western Hemisphere. 

The Pueblo Indians cultivate the soil and live in fixed abodes. 
Their cities are built on rocky eminences. Their houses are of stone, 
laid in mud, and have several stories, built up in a terrace form. There 
are no doors opening to the outside. To gain admittance, one must 
mount to the roof by means of ladders, and then descend to the interior 
by a trap door. 

The government consists of a ruler elected annually by the people, 




PUEBLO CHIEF. 



408 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 



and having the executive management of the affairs of the town. He 
has a council of old men called caciques. Under the Mexican Govern- 
ment, they had an Alcalde, but the office is now abolished. All their 
public meetings, (feasts, dances, councils, etc.) are held in a kind of 
underground room called the Estufa. They have a sacred fire which is 
watched by the oldest men, and never allowed to go out. Their war 
chief is a different individual from the governor. 

The influence of contact with the Spanish is perceptible in their 
arts, the earthenware being particularly beautiful. The manufacture of 
blankets is the most striking exhibition of skill in arts possessed by 

them. The figures in these are usually 
the diamond and parallels, both patterns 
and colors excelling in beauty, the latter 
being red, black and blue. The art of 
shearing the living sheep is (or was very 
recently) unknown to them, the wool 
being cut from the animal after death. 
The spindle of the weavers is made 
of wood and resembles a boy's top, with 
the addition of a stem eighteen inches 
long. The wool, after being carded, is 
fastened to the upper end of the spindle which is then placed in an 
earthen bowl and set to whirling by a motion of the hands. The 
woman then draws out the thread, just as is done by those using 
our own spinning wheels. As soon as the thread is spun the spindle is 
turned in the opposite direction in order to wind it on its lower portion. 
The work is performed by means of a shuttle and simple loom apparatus 
similar to ours. 

They use mill-stones like those employed by the Mexicans ; upon 
these they grind a very fine flour which they bake upon flat stones in 
very long, thin sheets. This bread is called gugave. 

The men have no covering for the head, except occasionally a handker- 
chief tied round it. The costume of some consists only of the tilma, a 




PUEBLO MAIDEN. 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 



409 



small blanket reaching only to the waist, and having a hole for the head 
to pass through. Others wear a picturesque costume consisting of a 
buckskin hunting shirt, knee breeches of the same material, dyed a deep 
red and fastened at the side with brass buttons, long bluestockings tied 
at the knee, leggings of buckskin, moccasins, and finally a parti-colored 
blanket thrown over the shoulders. 

They part the hair across the forehead from ear to ear, the front 
portion being combed over the forehead and cut square on a line with the 
eyebrows after the fashion of our own 
misses of to-day. The back hair, which 
is allowed to grow very long, is braided 
and tied in a bunch with a broad red band. 
When dancing, it is loosened and allowed 
to fall to the ground. 

The boys, until eight or ten years of 
age, reverse this order, cropping the back 
part very short, in order to encourage its 
growth, and wearing the front very long 
which gives them a wild, elfin appearance. 

The women are dressed in a claret- 
colored manta, having an opening to receive 
the head, and reaching to a little below the 
knees. They also wear buckskin boots, or Spanish-American INDIAN, 
moccasins, and the tilma or blanket. The front hair is lone enough to 
reach the chin, and when dancing they let it fall over the face like a 
veil. Oil these occasions they wear large pasteboard coiffures, which are 
painted symbolically and adorned with feathers. 

Each town has a church, usually constructed of stones laid in mud, 
and having one or two bells which the Indians delight to ring upon any 
and every occasion. The services were formerly performed by a Mexican 
padre, but now they have few priests and conduct the exercises in a rude, 
fantastic manner of their own. They sometimes have a very curious 
kind of choir, or orchestra, consisting of a dozen or more of boys 




410 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 



who imitate the notes of singing birds by blowing through reeds 
placed in basins of water. The pipes are perforated and split in a 
peculiar manner, and produce fine, tiny warblings, trills and deep, 
liquid notes of a peculiarly pleasing and simple character. 

The Pueblos are a simple-hearted, happy, good-natured people, and 
have a great many festivals and dancing ceremonies at which they 
appear in the most brilliant and elaborate costumes. The drum 
invariably used on these occasions is called a "tombe," and is made of a 
hollow log about fifteen inches in diameter and two and a half feet long. 
Dried hide is stretched across the ends and a short pole is tied to one 

side to support the 
instrument when 
played upon. It is 
beaten with a large 
drum-stick and 
produces a most 
deafening roar. 

In one of their 
dances the men 
INDIAN GRIST-MILL. and women wear 

large sashes fancifully worked and dyed ; eagle and turkey feathers in 
the hair ; while from the waist the skin of a silver-grey fox is sus- 
pended. The legs of the men are painted red from the knees down. 
Both sexes have their hands covered with white clay in such a manner 
as to resemble open worked gloves. 

The women wear beautifully colored cloaks, and have their faces 
entirely hidden by the front hair. Bach man carries in his hand a 
gourd, partly filled with pebbles, which he shakes in exact time with the 
music. Every squaw has a square cut piece of corn husk which is held 
between the thumb at the base and the lower part of the forefinger. 
With a kind of shuffling movement they keep correct step to the music. 
In a war ceremony and dance the warriors march between two files 
of the other men of the pueblo. They have their hair greased and a 




THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 



411 



circle of white, down-like feathers pasted around their heads. Their 
bodies are entirely destitute of clothing with the exception of a painted 
deer-skin skirt, reaching from the waist to a little below the hip joint, 
and fringed with the teeth and hoofs of deer, which rattle as they 
move. 

They wear moccasins ; also necklaces made of the claws of the 
grizzly bear. The legs, from the knees down, are painted a deep red ; 
the rest of the body is colored black, relieved on the chest with crosses 
and marks to indicate the ribs. On each 
arm are two white leather bands. Each 
carries a bow and arrows. As they advance, 
the women hurry down from the houses and 
dance sideways on the outside of the files, 
holding their red skirts as our women do in 
dancing. For a while the procession marches 
a nd then stops to dance. Presently all retire 
to the Estufa, or town hall. 

Soon there emerges from this place a 
warrior, accompanied by a band of his friends, 
a tombe, or drum, and the malinchi, which 
is a virgin dressed in the most beautiful 
manner. From her right wrist hangs a skin 

of the silver-grey fox. Bells, which jingle at BL0 at prayer. 

every motion, are attached to the end of her embroidered scarf. 

As the band enters the plaza, all are dancing and shouting except 
the warrior who is the hero of the occasion. Assuming a position on 
one side, a tombe strikes up and the friends begin a song in which they 
commemorate the deeds of their ancestors, and highly eulogize the feats 
of the silent brave. He, meanwhile, keeps up a monotonous kind of 
dance about four paces in the rear, to which his necklace and fringe lend 
a clattering, dry-bone accompaniment, whilst the malinchi, with her 
tinkling bells, glides in and out among the crowd. 

After they have sung a while, a number of females from the family 




412 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

of the hero of the occasion appear upon the scene, laden with baskets of 

guavas, wheat-bread, roasted corn, pinones, dried fruit and cooked meat, 

which they throw among the crowd, and a general scramble ensues, the 

boys especially having a "high" time. Presently another tombe is 

heard, and a second party advances to sing the deeds of another warrior. 

The others then pause, and close with the fleeka or arrow dance by 

the malinchi, which is a beautiful performance. The warrior, with his 

bow and arrows, rests upon one knee before his friends, who are drawn lip 

in two ranks. The malinchi at first dances along the line in front of 

him, and, by her gestures, shows that she is describing the war-path. 

She moves slowly on, but suddenly her pace quickens, she has seen the 

enemy. 

DANCES WITH FRANTIC GESTURES. 

The warrior, by the motion of his head, implies that she is right. 
Faster and faster she dances, then suddenly seizes an arrow from him, 
and by her frantic gesticulations, tells that the fight has begun. At 
the conclusion of the dance, she returns the arrow, firearms are dis- 
charged, and the party returns to the Estufa to give place to the next 
hero. Warriors succeed each other until dark. During the two days in 
which the dance continues, they are not allowed to speak. 

The funerals of this tribe are peculiar. The grave is dug in the 
church yard, and the bells are tolled, at the last stroke of which the 
corpse, sewed up in a coarse blanket, is lowered into its resting-place. 
Then each friend of the deceased throws in a handful of earth. The 
females of the family how draw near, bearing jars of water, which they 
empty into the grave, at the same time striking up a wild and plaintive 
death-chant. The pit is then filled with earth. The bones of great 
men are disinterred and buried in the church. 

In 1852 the Pueblo, a town of Zuni, contained four thousand 
inhabitants. It is built in the middle of a large plain (which is culti- 
vated), and has been much harrassed by the Navajoes, a wild, nomadic 
tribe with whom the Zuni people waged continual war a quarter of a 
century ago. To defend themselves they placed along the trails leading 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 



413 



to the town pits ten feet deep and just large enough to receive a horse ; 
at the bottom were set large pointed stakes. 

The top was covered with earth and bushes in so cunning a manner 
that it was impossible for one not in the secret to detect them. The 
Zuniaus speak a different language from the other Pueblo Indians. 
There have been instances among them of albinos, with perfectly white 
hair, light blue eyes and a dead white complexion, which exposure to 
the sun does not tan. 

We now turn to the Navajoes, a wandering tribe, differing but 
little in their general features from the 
Pueblos. As they move from place to 
place with their flocks and herds, wher- 
ever they find the best pastures there 
they stop, build log shanties and plant 
their corn, beans and wheat. Their 
method of spinning has been described 
elsewhere. 

Their government is purely patri- 
archal. There are no chiefs, but each 
wealthy man has his band of retainers 
and servants who constitute his family. 
Polygamy is very extensively practiced. navajo matron. 

They have the following tradition concerning the origin of man. 
Many years ago the Navajoes, Pueblos, Coyoteras and the Americans 
all lived under ground in the centre of the Maztarny, on the Rio San 
Juan. Here they subsisted on meat alone, for all the birds qf the air 
were there and the only light was a kind of daybreak which lasted but 
a few hours out of the twenty-four. Among the Navajoes were two dumb 
men who played the Indian flute. As one of these one day accidentally 
touched the top of the cave there was heard a hollow sound, and the old 
men immediately conceived the idea of boring through to see what was 
inside. 

The flute being placed against the top of the cavern, the raccoon 




414 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 



first ascended through it and attempted to dig his way out but did not 
succeed. When he returned the moth worm took his place, and making 
a hole through the roof found himself upon the inside of the mountain 
and surrounded by water. Having thrown up a small mound he sat down 
and gazed around him. Soon he observed four great white swans placed 
at the four cardinal points, each carrying an arrow under either wing. 

The swan from 
the north first rushed 
upon the poor worm, 
and having thrust an 
arrow through his 
body on each side, 
he withdrew and ex- 
amined them atten- 
tively, exclaiming, 
"He is of my race ! " 
and returned to his 
station. This was 
repeated by the 
other three, and at 
the close of the or- 
deal when each had 
resumed his former 
NAVAJO LOOM. place, four great ar- 

royas were formed to the north, south, east and west, which drained off 
all the water and left in its place a mass of soft mud. 

The worm now descended and the raccoon passed up, but at his first 
leap he went deep into the black mud, which stained his paws and legs 
so black that the marks have remained to this day. He also went down, 
and the wind ascended and dried up the mud. After this the men and 
animals began to go up out of the cavern through the hole to the mud- 
dried surface of the earth. Their passage occupied several days. 

First came the Navajoes, who immediately commenced playing 




THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 



415 



patole, of which they are to this day most passionately foud. Then foL 
lowed the Pueblos and other Indians, who cut their hair. These at once 
began to build houses. Lastly appeared the Americans, or white men, 
who started off to the point where the sun rises, and were never heard 
from until a comparatively few years ago. 

The Moqui Indians inhabit seven cliff villages, all situated in the 
same valley. Their customs are much like those of the Pueblos and 
Navajoes. I shall only detain the reader with an account of one of their 
dances, which is 
very picturesque 
and striking. 
Twenty men and 
women ranged in 
two files keep up 
a dance without 
moving from their 
places except to oc- 
casionally "about 
face." The men 
wear on their 
heads large paste- 
board towers sym- 
bolically painted 
and curiously Group of moquis. 

decorated with feathers. Bach also has his face covered with a visor 
made of small peeled willow wands dyed a deep brown color. All carry 
gourd rattles in their hands. 

By far the most beautiful part of the women's dress is a cloak 
about three and a half feet square, which is thrown over the shoulders, 
fastened in front, and, hanging down behind, reaches half way below the 
knees. It is pure white, of very fine texture, and has one or more 
wide borders of beautiful colors and curious patterns exceedingly w r ell 
wrought in. 




416 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

They, also, wear visors of willow sticks, colored a bright yellow, 
and so arranged in parallel rows like Pandean pipes. Along each side 
of the files canters up and down a boy dressed like a Satanic imp. He 
wears a black sugar-loaf hat, which passes entirely over his head and rests 
upon his shoulders. Around the bottom of this, encircling his neck, is a 
wreath made of twigs of the spruce tree ; on the top are placed two long 
diverging feathers resembling horns. Over his entire person, which is 
painted black, are placed white rings at regular intervals. 

Upon this occasion the dancers furnish their own music, which 
resembles the noise, on a very large scale, of a swarm of blue bottle flies 
in an empty hogshead. This effect is produced by the hollow visor as 
they roll through it their deep bass "aw, aw, aw, aw's." Two old 
men, who act as masters of ceremony, pass along the lines at the opening 
of the dance and sprinkle the shoulders of each with a pinch of powder. 

At times, some of the women sit on the ground, on rugs brought for 
them, and produce a sound similar to that of a watchman's rattle by 
drawing the shoulder blade of a sheep over a grooved piece of wood laid 
upon a hollow gourd. 

CLOWNS FOR MESSENGERS AND WAITERS. 

As appendages to the feast they have clowns who serve as mes- 
sengers and waiters. The first group consists of six or eight young 
men in breech-clouts, having some comical daubs of paint upon their 
faces and bodies, and wearing wigs made of black sheepskins. Some 
also have ram's horns on their heads. 

Suddenly, while dancing and singing, they are attacked by one of 
their number on all fours and dressed as a huge grizzly bear, which after 
a hard fight they succeed in killing. Cutting open his skin, they take 
out a quantity of gauvas, green corn, etc. After disposing of the bear, 
the clowns are assailed by imps wearing the most horribly grotesque 
masks with noses six inches long ; mouths from ear to ear ; great goggle 
eyes, as large as the half of a hen's egg, and hanging by a string partly 
out of the socket. 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 417 

The simple Indians appeared highly delighted with all the cere- 
monies. While the dance was proceeding, young men dressed as virgins 
passed around baskets filled with guavas of different forms and colors ; 
roasted ears of corn, bread, meat and other eatables, and the entertain- 
ment only concluded with the fall of night. 

MYTHOLOGICAL STORIES AND TRADITIONS. 

TRANSFORMATION INTO A BIRD.— AN ALLEGORY. 

FROM THE CHIPPEWA. 

An ambitious hunter had an only son who was approaching that 
age when it was proper to fast in order to choose his guardian or personal 
spirit, and being very solicitous that he should show great capacity for 
endurance at that time, he gave him many instructions, and, when 
the time arrived, bade him be courageous and acquit himself like 
a man. 

The young man went first into the sweating lodge and having heated 
himself thoroughly, plunged into cold water. He repeated the process, 
and then repaired to a separate hut which had been prepared for him at 
a short distance in the forest and laid himself down on a new mat of 
rushes woven by his mother. His father accompanied him to the place, 
instructed him to fast twelve days, and promised to visit him each morn- 
ing. He then left, and the son, covering his face, remained very still 
until the next day when the parent returned to encourage him in con- 
tinuing his fast. 

For eight days the visits were repeated, but the strength of the 
youth had failed so much that he could not rise, but lay like one in the 
composure and rigidity of death. On the ninth morning he spoke to his 
father as follows : " My father, my dreams are not good. The spirit that 
visits me is not favorable in the way you wish. Let me break my fast 
now, and another time I'll try again. I have no strength to endure any 
longer." 

"My son," he replied, "if you give up now, all will be lost. You 
have persevered in your fast eight days. You have overcome the hard- 

27 



418 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

est trials. Only a little time now remains. Some other spirit will come 
to you. Strive a little longer." 

The lad said not a word, but covering himself closely and never 
moving, he remained very still until the eleventh day when he repeated 
his request. a To-morrow," answered the old man, "I will come early in 
the morning and bring you food." Silence and obedience were all that 
remained. The young man seemed as one dead. No one would have 
known that life had not fled but by watching the gentle upheaving of 
his breast. Day and night appeared to be alike to him. 

CLAIMED TO HAVE A NEW SHAPE. 

On the twelfth morning the father came with the promised repast in 
a little kettle, but on drawing near to the wigwam he heard sounds from 
within as of some one talking. Stooping to look through a small open- 
ing he was surprised to see his son painted, sitting up and in the 
act of laying the coloring on his shoulders as far as his hands could 
reach, and at the same time muttering to himself, "My father has 
destroyed me, he would not listen to my requests. I shall be forever 
happy, for I have been obedient to my parent, even beyond my strength 
My spirit is not the one I sought, but he is just and pitiful, and has 
given me another shape." 

At this moment the old man broke in, exclaiming, "Ningwiss ! 
Ningwis !" (my son, my son) "leave me not, leave me not." But the lad, 
with the nimbleness of a bird, having taken the form of a beautiful 
robin-red-breast, had flown to the top of a lodge and perched himself on 
the highest outer pole. Looking down upon his father he said: "Mourn 
not my change. I shall be happier in my present state than I could 
have been as a man. I shall always be the friend of men and keep near 
their dwellings. I could not gratify your pride as a warrior, but I will 
cheer you by my songs and strive to produce in you the lightsomeness 
I feel. I am now free from cares and pains, my food is furnished by the 
fields and mountains, and my path is in the bright air." So saying, he 
flew away to the woods. 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 419 

THE WOLF-BROTHER. 

FROM THE CHIPPEWA. 

Early one summer morning an Indian stood on the borders of a 
forest. A deep silence reigned. In the wigwam his father lay dying. 
As the barks that covered its sides were lifted to admit the air, the low 
breathings of the dying man could be heard mingled with the sup- 
pressed moans of the wife and three children. Two of the latter, a son 
and daughter, had almost reached adult age ; the other, a boy, was yet 
a mere child. 

These were the only beings near the couch of the lonely and fast 
sinking hunter. He raised himself a moment on his elbow and 
addressed his family for the last time, among other things charging the 
elder children never to forsake their little brother. His wife, he said, 
would soon follow him to the spirit land. The children, with sobs and 
tears, gave their promise. The father died, and soon after the mother. 

The children were now left alone in the wide forest. After a winter 
of this solitary life had passed, the elder brother grew restless and told 
his sister he was going to seek the societ}' of his fellows, being unable 
any longer to endure the lonely life he was leading. After many moons 
the sister likewise tired of her seclusion, and prepared to abandon the 
younger brother. 

One day after having collected all the provisions in the wigwam 
and gathered a quantity of wood for making fire, she said to her little 
brother: "My brother, you must not stray from the lodge ; I am going 
to seek our brother and will soon return." 

Then taking her bundle she set out in search of habitations. It 
was not long before she found them, and became so engrossed in the 
pleasures and diversions of society that her little brother in the forest 
was forgotten. She finally accepted a proposal of marriage, and after 
this lost all remembrance of her deserted relative. The elder brother 
had also married, and, like her, had ceased to think of the little forest 
waif. 

As soon as the boy had eaten all the food left him by his sister, he 



420 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

went into the woods to pick berries and dig up roots which satisfied his 
hunger as long as the weather continued mild. But as winter advanced 
he was obliged to quit the lodge and wander about in great distress, 
often passing his nights in the clefts and hollows of old trees and eating 
the refuse meals of the wolves. 

FEARLESS OF ANIMALS. 

The latter soon became his only resource, and so fearless was he 
of these animals that he would sit close beside them while they 
devoured their prey, the creatures themselves seeming to pity his condi- 
tion and always leaving him something. Dependent upon their bounty, 
he lived until the spring came and enlivened the forest. As soon as the 
ice melted in the big lake and left it free, he followed his new-found 
friends and companions to its open shores. 

It happened that his elder brother was in his canoe, fishing in the 
lake at a short distance from the bank, when he thought he heard the 
cry of a child and wondered how anyone could exist on so bleak a coast. 
Listening more intently, as he heard the cry repeated, he made for the 
land as quickly as possible and saw at a distance his little brother, who 
was singing in a plaintive voice these lines : 

" Nesia, Nesia, shieg wuh, gushuh ! 
Ne mien gun-ieu ! Ne mien gun-ieu ! 

My brother, my brother, 
I am turning into a wolf, 
I am turning into a wolf ! " 

At the conclusion of his song he howled like the animal into which 
he was changing, and his elder brother was astonished, as he came nearer, 
to find him half turned into a wolf. Leaping forward, he strove to catch 
him in his arms, crying out, " My brother, my brother, come to me ! " 
But the boy eluded his grasp and fled, still singing, "I am turning into 
a wolf," and howling in the intervals. 

His brother, conscience-stricken, felt his affection returning with 
redoubled force, but the more eagerly he approached the more rapidly the 
boy sped away, the change in his body meanwhile progressing until the 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 421 

transformation was complete. At last crying out, " I am a wolf," he 
bounded out of sight. The young man and his sister (when she heard 
it) were filled with the deepest remorse, and as long as they lived 
upbraided themselves for their cruelty to the little boy. 

Sayadio mourned for his sister, for she had died young and hand- 
some. At length he resolved to go to the land of souls and bring her 
back. His journey was long and full of adventures, and would have 
proved a fruitless errand had he not, when on the point of giving up in 
despair, met an old man who gave him a magic calabash with which to 
dip up the spirit of his sister in case he should find her. He also gave 
him the young damsel's brains, which he had carefully kept, for he was 
no other than the keeper of that part of the spirit land to which the 
young man was journeying. 

SAYADIO. 

A WYANDOT LEGEND. 

Sayadio now proceeded with a light heart ; but when he reached the 
land of spirits, was astonished to find that they all fled from him. In 
this perplexing emergency Tarenyawago, the master of ceremonies, 
kindly assisted him. It so happened that all the souls were at this time 
gathered for a dance, according to the custom of the place. The young 
man soon recognized his sister floating through the dance and rushed 
forward to embrace her, but she vanished like a dream of the night. 
Tarenyawago furnished him with a mystic rattle of great power to bring 
her back. 

At the same time the deep-sounding Taiwaiegun, or spirit drum, 
was beat for a renewal of the choral dance, and the Indian flute poured 
forth its softest notes. The effect of the music was instantaneous, and 
the throng of spirits became innumerable. Again he saw his sister 
among the number. Quickly he dipped up the entranced spirit with his 
calabash and securely fastened it despite the efforts of the captivated 
soul to regain its liberty. 

He then retraced his steps to earth and safely reached his lodge with 
his precious charge. The friends of himself and sister were immediately 



422 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

summoned, and the body of the maiden was brought from its burial place 
to be reanimated with its spirit. Everything was in readiness for the 
ceremonies of the resurrection, when the thoughtless curiosity of one of 
the female friends frustrated the object of their meeting. She must 
needs peep into the calabash to see how the disembodied soul looked, 
upon which the imprisoned spirit took its flight. 

Sayadio gazed intently but could see nothing. Her passage through 
the air could not be traced and he sat in his lodge with bowed head, 
moaning and lamenting that, through the idle curiosity of one person, all 
the trials and perplexities of his journey to the land of spirits had come 
to naught. 

THE ORIGIN OF THE ONONDAGA COUNCIL FIRE. 

Tarenyawago instructed the Six Nations in the Arts. He had a 
magic canoe, which moved without paddles, and in obedience to his mere 
will-power. With it he ascended the streams and lakes. He taught the 
people to raise corn and beans ; removed obstructions from their water 
courses, and made their fishing grounds clear. He helped to kill the 
great monsters that overran the country. He also gave them their laws, 
for his wisdom was as great as his power, and all the people respected 
and venerated him. 

Having resolved to live among them as a member of mankind in 
order to afford them a model of living, he carefully drew out of the water 
his beautiful talismanic canoe, which had served him as horses and 
chariot in his excursions through the Iroquois country, and it was never 
used except when he attended the great councils of the nation. He then 
laid aside his former name and assumed that of Hiawatha, which was 
bestowed upon him by the people, and meant a man of very great 
wisdom. 

After many years had passed, a great invasion of Indians from the 
north threatened the very existence of the people. The wildest alarm 
prevailed, and Hiawatha advised them not to waste their efforts in a 
desultory manner, but to call a council of all the tribes in order that 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 423 

preconcerted and united action might be determined upon. This being 
done, the great chiefs assembled, and with them a vast multitude of 
men, women and children, for there was a general feeling that some great 
deliverance was at hand. 

The third day passed, and Hiawatha had not yet appeared in his 
magic canoe, and the people began to fear he would not come. But at 
last he was seen approaching. Feeling a presentiment of danger, he 
had been unwilling to attend the council, but through the persuasions 
and representations of the messengers, he finally yielded and consented 
to be present, taking with him his only daughter to guide the canoe with 
her light paddle. 

Upon reaching the place where the council had assembled, loud 
shouts of welcome rent the air. As he walked the ascending shore of 
the lake, a loud sound was heard in the air above, and presently a 
descending object was perceived, falling with immense velocity and 
growing larger and more distinct every moment. The people, struck 
with terror and alarm, scattered in confusion. Hiawatha, deeming it 
foolish to try and avoid the will of the Great Spirit, caused his daughter 
to follow his example and remain perfectly still. 

AN IMMENSE WHITE BIRD. 

The object had now assumed a more definite form, and in a short 
time revealed the shape of a gigantic white bird, with widely extended 
and pointed wings, which, descending more and more swiftly, with a 
mighty swoop, crushed the girl to the earth. Not a muscle in the face 
of Hiawatha was moved. His daughter lay dead before him, but the 
great and mysterious white bird was also killed by the shock. Such 
had been the violence of the concussion that it had completely buried its 
beak and head in the ground. 

But the most wonderful sight was the carcass of the bird, which was 
covered with beautiful plumes of snow-white feathers. Each warrior, 
stepping up, decorated himself with one, and from this arose the custom 
of wearing a white feather when on the war path. 



TRIBE' 



424 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

But a still greater wonder was to be revealed, for on removing the 
body of the bird, the girl was nowhere seen. She had completely van- 
ished. The afflicted father mastered his emotion, gathered his robe of 
wolfskins about him, and, with a dignified mien, walked to the council, 
addressing in turn the Mohawks, Oneidas, Ouondagas, Senecas and 
Cayugas, advising them to unite as one nation, that they might the more 
effectually repel the enemy who was advancing upon them from the 
north. This was unanimously approved, and the Five Nations then and 
there made their first league of amity. 

After the council, Hiawatha announced his withdrawal to the skies, 
and, going down, to the shore, took his seat in his mystic boat. At the 
same moment, sweet music floated through the air, and, as it fell upon 
the ears of the wondering multitude, the canoe rose in the air and con- 
tinued ascending until it vanished into the celestial regions inhabited by 
Owaneo and his hosts. Thus ended the first great Onondaga assembly, 
which was also the origin of their council fire. 

THE BOY WHO SET A SNARE FOR THE SUN. 

AN OJIBWAY TRADITION. 

Long ago, when the animals reigned on the earth, they had killed 
all the people but a girl and her little brother, and these two lived in the 
greatest seclusion and fear. The boy being a pigmy, could do little or 
nothing towards their support, which, in consequence, devolved upon the 
girl. Each day as she went out to get fire-wood for the lodge, she took 
her little brother so that no bird should fly away with him nor accident 
befall him. She made him a bow and arrows, and said to him one day 
when they were out : " I will leave you here where I have been chopping. 
You must hide yourself, and soon you will see the Gitschee-gitschee- 
gaun-ai-see-ug, or snowbirds. They will come to pick the worms 
out of the wood which I have been cutting, and you must shoot one with 
your bow and arrows and bring it home." 

He did as directed and tried to shoot, but was not successful. Tell- 
ing him he must try again, he did so, and at nightfall she heard the 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 425 

patter of his footsteps on the snow as he approached the lodge ; coming 
in exnltingly he threw down a bird saying, "My sister yon must flay it 
and stretch the skin, and when I have killed enough I will have a little 
coat made out of them." 

"But what shall we do with the body? " said the girl ; for as yet men 
had not begun to eat animal food, but lived on vegetable diet alone. 
"Cut it in two," he answered, "and season our pottage with one half of it at 
a time." The little fellow succeeded in killing ten birds out of which 
his sister made him a little coat. 

One day he said, "Sister, we are all alone in the world ; are there no 
other people living?" She told him of their enemies, the animals, who 
had destroyed their relatives and pointed out the quarter where they 
lived ; but told him he must by no means go in that direction. This only 
whetted his curiosity, and one day he took his bow and arrows and set 
out in the direction she had designated. 

SCORCHED AND SINGED BY THE SUN. 

Becoming very tired he threw himself upon a knoll; where the sun 
had melted the snow away, and fell asleep. The sun, meanwhile, shone 
upon him so intensely that it singed and warped his bird-skin coat so 
that when he awoke he was tightly bound up in it. This enraged him 
and he vowed vengeance against the sun. "Do not think you are too 
high," said he; "I shall avenge myself." 

On reaching home he related to his sister what had befallen him and 
lamented the ruin of his coat. He lay down as one that fasts, and did 
not change his position for ten days although his sister used every 
inducement to arouse him. At the end of this time he turned over on 
the other side and remained thus ten days more. He then arose and 
told his sister to make him a snare for he meant to catch the sun. She 
said she had nothing, but finally recollected a little piece of dried 
deer's sinew which her father had left. 

He said this would not do, and asked her to get him something else. 
She pulled out some of her hair and made him a string. This, also, was 



426 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

rejected, and he pettishly asked for something else. Answering that 
she had nothing to make it of she left the lodge and when she found 
herself alone outside, she said, "neow obewy indapin." This she did, 
and twisting them into a tiny cord, handed them to her brother who was 
delighted with the curious braid and said it would do. 

Putting it to his mouth, he began drawing it through his lips, and as 
fast as he did so it changed into a red metal cord, which he wound round his 
body and shoulders until he had enough. He then set out a little after 
midnight in order that he might catch the sun before it rose. He fixed 
his snare just where the great luminary would strike the land as it 
appeared above the earth's disc. Sure enough, he ensnared it so that it 
could not rise. 

The animals that ruled the earth were greatly agitated by this cir- 
cumstance which deprived them of their light, and they called a council 
to appoint someone to go and cut the cord. This was a very dangerous 
proceeding, for the sun would burn whoever came so near it. Finally, 
the dormouse volunteered to go, as, at that time, he was the largest 
animal on the earth. When it stood up it looked like a mountain. 

Arriving at the place and looking through the forest, it saw the sun 
darting its red flames in all directions. The intensity of the heat caused 
the dormouse, as it approached, to smoke and burn, and soon the top of 
its body was reduced to immense heaps of ashes. It succeeded in cutting 
the cord with its teeth, but was very much diminished in size, and has 
remained so ever since. Men called it Kug-e-beeng-wa-Kwa. 

THE SWING ON THE LAKE SHORE. 

AN OJIBWAY TRADITION. 

There was once an old hag living with her son-in-law, daughter, and 
a little orphan boy whom she was bringing up. When the former 
returned from hunting, it was his custom to bring his wife the moose's 
lip, the kidney of the bear, or some other choice bits of different animals. 
These she would cook crisp so as to make a sound with her teeth when 
eating them. This kind attention from the hunter to his wife at last 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 427 

excited the envy of the old woman, who wished to have the 
luxuries herself, and, in order to obtain them, she resolved to destroy her 
daughter. 

One day she asked her to leave her infant in charge of the orphan 
boy, and come out with her to the lake shore and swing. She took her to 
a high cliff overhanging the water, upon the top of which she erected the 
swing. Having undressed and fastened a piece of leather around her, 
she commenced swinging, each time going over the precipice. Presently 
she told her daughter to do the same. She obeyed, undressing and 
fastening the leather string as directed. 

SWUNG FAR OVER THE PRECIPICE. 

When the swing was well in motion so that at every sweep it ex- 
tended far beyond the precipice, the old woman slyly cut the cords and 
let her daughter drop into the lake. Donning her victim's clothing she 
returned home in the dusk of the evening and counterfeited her appear- 
ance and duties. She found the child crying and gave it the breast, but 
it refused to be her ally in the deception. The orphan boy asked where 
the mother of the infant was. She answered, "She is still swinging." 

He said, "I will go and look for her," but the old hag said he should 
not. When the husband came in he gave the coveted morsel to his sup- 
posed wife, missing his mother-in-law but saying nothing. She eagerly 
ate the dainty bit and tried to quiet the child. The husbaud, surprised 
to see his wife studiously averting her face, asked why the babe 
cried. She replied that she did not know, that it refused to take nour- 
ishment from her. 

In the meantime the orphan went to the lake shore but found no 
one. He mentioned his suspicion to the husband when the old woman 
was absent from the lodge. Painting his face black and placing his 
inverted spear in the earth he requested the Great Spirit to send thunder, 
lightning and rain, in the hope that the body of his wife might rise from 
the water. He then began to fast, and told the boy to take the infant 
and play on the lake shore. 



428 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

We must now return to the swing. After the wife had plunged into 
the lake she found herself seized by a water tiger whose tail twisted 
itself around her and drew her to the bottom. Finding there a fine lodge 
and all things ready for her reception, she became the wife of this ani- 
mal. Whilst the children were playing along the shore, the boy casting 
pebbles into the water, he observed a gull coming from its centre and 
flying towards the land. As soon as it alighted on the ground it assumed 
human shape and he recognized in it the lost mother. She had a leather 
belt around her loins and another of white metal, which was, in reality, 
the tail of the water tiger, her husband. She gave the child sustenance 
and said to the boy, " Come here with him, whenever he cries, and I will 
nurse him." 

He carried the infant home and related the occurrence to the father ; 
and when the child cried again, he, too, accompanied it, hiding himself 
in a clump of trees. Soon the gull appeared in view with a long shin- 
ing belt or chain. Touching the shore it assumed the mother's form and 
began to nurse the child. The husband, having brought his spear, 
boldly struck the shining chain and broke the links asunder. He then 
returned to his home with his wife, child and the orphan boy. As they 
entered the lodge the old woman looked up in despair and instantly 
dropped her head. A rustling was heard ; the next moment she leaped 
up, rushed from the house and was never heard of more. 

ONE RACE, BUT MANY TRIBES. 

It has already been mentioned that, with the exception of the shore 
districts, America is inhabited from the extreme south to extreme north 
by the same race. The various tribes into which that race is divided are 
naturally varied according to the locality and climate of the spot which 
they inhabit. Those, for example, who live in the perpetual snow and 
ice of either the extreme north or south are naturally different in man- 
ners and customs from those who inhabit the tropical centre of America. 
Then, even in similar climate, there is very definite modification according 
to locality. The inhabitants of the mountains, for example, differ materially 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 429 

from the dwellers of the plain, while those tribes who live in the forests 
differ from both 

Yet they are all members of one and the same great race, and whether 
in the Esqimanx of the north, the Amazonian of the tropics, or the Pata- 
gonian of the extreme south, all display the same race characteristics. 

The color of the skin is deep copper red, the cheek bones are prominent, 
the nose mostly aquiline, the forehead rather receding and the eyes apar- 
ently small, this latter characteristic being due to the continual exposure 
to the sun, and to the smoky atmosphere of the huts. The beard is very 
deficient, and even those few hairs that make their appearance are carefully 
eradicated with tweezers. Sometimes an old man, who is careless about 
his personal appearance, allows his beard to grow, but in that case it is very 
scanty, thin, and never reaches any great length. 

FINE HAIR OF GREAT LENGTH. 

The hair of the head contrasts strongly with that of the face, being 
very long and fine, in some of the tribes attaining an almost incredible 
length. The Crow tribe are remarkable for the extraordinary development 
of their hair, which in some of the warriors actually trails on the ground as 
they walk. They pride themselves so much on this peculiarity, that in 
1833 their chief received both his name of Longhair and his office from 
his wonderful tresses. The hair of this man was carefully measured by 
some white travellers, who had lived in his lodge for months together, and 
was found to be ten feet seven inches in length. 

He did not allow it to hang at its full length except on occasions of 
ceremony, but kept it carefully wound with a broad leather strap, and 
made up into a bundle weighing several pounds. Usually this bundle was 
carried under his arm or in the bosom of his robe, but on great occasions 
the hair was let down to its full length, and carefully smoothed with bear's 
grease, and allowed to trail on the ground several feet behind the owner 
as he proudly stalked along. 

Several other tribes, such as the Blackfeet (so called from the dark 
moccasins which they wear), have very long hair, of which they are 



430 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

exceedingly proud, and those individuals whose locks do not reach the 
standard of beauty are in the habit of splicing false hair to their own 
tresses. 

The Mandans, the Sioux, and the Minatarees, are all distinguished 
by this peculiarity, though none of them possess it so abundantly as the 
Crows. When Mr. Catlin was staying among the Minatarees, a party of 
Crows came to visit them, and excited the admiration of their hosts by 
their magnificent hair. One of them possessed so picturesque an appear- 
ance that the artist traveller transferred him at once to canvas. The 
following is Mr. Catlin's account of this splendid specimen of the North 
American Indian : — 

" I think I have said that no part of the human race could present a 
more picturesque and thrilling appearance on horseback than a party of 
Crows rigged out in all their plumes and trappings — galloping about and 
yelling in what they call a war parade ; that is, in asort of tournament or 
sham fight, passing rapidly through the evolutions of battle, and vaunting 
forth the wonderful character of their military exploits. This is an 
amusement of which they are excessively fond ; and great preparations are 
invariably made for these occasional shows. 

TRIBE MOST BEAUTIFULLY CLAD. 

"No tribe of Indians on the continent are better able to produce a 
pleasing and thrilling effect in these scenes, not any more vain, and con- 
sequently better prepared to draw pleasure and satisfaction from them, than 
the Crows. They may be j ustly said to be the most beautifully clad of all the 
Indians in these regions, and, bringing from the base of the Rocky Moun- 
tains a fine and spirited breed of the wild horses, have been able to create 
a great sensation among the Minatarees, who have been paying them all 
attention and all honors for some days past. 

" From amongst these showy fellows who have been entertaining us, 
and pleasing themselves with their extraordinary feats of horsemanship, 
I have selected one of the most conspicuous, and transferred him and his 
horse, with arms and trappings, as faithfully as I could to the canvas, for 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 431 

the information of the world, who will learn vastly more from lines and 
colors than they could from oral or written delineations. 

" I have painted him as he sat for me, balanced on his leaping wild 
horse, with his shield and quiver slung on his back, and his long lance, 
decorated with the eagle's quills, trained in his right hand. His shirt 
and his leggings, and moccasins were of mountain goat skins, beautifully 
dressed ; and their seams everywhere fringed with a profusion of scalp- 
locks taken from the heads of his enemies slain in battle. His long hair, 
which reached almost to the ground while he was standing on his feet, 
was now lifted in the air, and floating in black waves over the hips of his 
leaping charger. On his head, and over his shining black locks, he 
wore a magnificent crest, or headdress, made of the quills of the war eagle 
and ermine skins, and on his horses head was another of equal beauty, 
and precisely the same in pattern and material. 

STRIKING AND PICTURESQUE APPEARANCE. 

" Added to these ornaments there were yet many others which con- 
tributed to his picturesque appearance, and amongst them a beautiful 
nettingof various colors, that completely covered and almost obscured the 
horses head and neck, and extended over its back and its hips, terminating 
in a most extravagent and magnificent crupper, embossed and fringed 
with rows of beautiful shells and porcupine quills of various colors. 

" With all these picturesque ornaments and trappings upon and about 
him, with a noble figure, and the bold stamp of a wild "gentleman" on his 
face, added to the rage and spirit of his wild horse, in time with whose leaps 
he issued his startling, though smothered yelps, as he gracefully leaned 
to and fro, leaving his plume and his plumage, his long locks and his 
fringes, to float in the wind, he galloped about ; and felt exceeding pleas- 
ure in displaying the extraordinary skill which a lifetime of practice and 
experiment had furnished him in the beautiful art of riding and manag- 
ing his horse, as well as in displaying to advantage his weapons and 
ornaments of dress, by giving them the grace of motion, as they were 
brandished in the air and floating in the wind." 



432 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

Although the hair is generally black, it sometimes takes various 
colors, the Mandan tribe being the most remarkable for this peculiarity. 
Some of them, even though quite young, have the hair of a bright silver 
gray, or even white. The men dislike this kind of hair in their own sex, 
and when it occurs try to disguise it by a plentful use of red or black 
earth mixed with glue. The women, on the contrary, are very proud of such 
hair, and take every opportunity of displaying its beauties. Generally a 
woman wears the hair in two plaits, which are allowed to fall down the 
back over on each side of the head ; but when they wish to appear to the 
best advantage, they rapidly unplait it, pass their fingers through it in the 
manner of a comb, and spread it as widely as possible over the shoulders. 
They always part it in the middle and fill the line of parting with red 
paint. 

The silver gray hair is remarkable for its coarseness, in which 
respect it seems like a horse's mane, while the dark colored hair is quite 
soft. Among the Mandans almost every shade of hair is found between 
white, brown, and black, but there is never the least tinge of red in it. 

SINGULAR MODE OF DRESSING THE HAIR. 

The Mandan men have a curious habit of dividing their long hair 
into flat tresses, two inches or so in width, and filling each tress at inter- 
vals of an inch with vermilion and glue, so as to keep them separate. 
These patches of glue and earth become very hard, and are never 
removed. The hair thus treated is drawn tightly over the top of the 
head, and allowed to fall down the back in parallel tresses, which mostly 
reach to the knee, and in some cases to the ground. 

The government of these tribes is of a similar character throughout. 
Each tribe has at its head a chief, whose office is usually, but not always, 
hereditary. Provided the eldest son of a chief be tolerably well qualified 
for the post, he is suffered to assume the leadership when his father dies, 
or becomes too old for work. Should the tribe be dissatisfied with him, 
they elect a leader from among the sub-chiefs. There is often a double 
system of government, two chiefs of equal power being appointed, one of 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 433 

whom manages all matters of war, and the other effects the administration 
of domestic policy. 

It often happens that, although the head chief of the tribe is nominally 
the ruler, and holds the first place, the real power lies in the second or 
third chief, who pays to his superior every deference which is due to his 
position, but is practically the leader and commander of the tribe. This 
was the case among the Mandans when Mr. Catlin visited them. The head 
chief, though a man of abilities and courage, and therefore respected and 
feared by the people, was by no means loved by them, on account of his 
haughty and overbearing demeanor. The real leader of the tribe was the 
second chief, named Mah-to-toh-pa; that is, the Four Bears, a name which 
he got from an exclamation of the enemy, who said that he came at them 
"like four bears." 

LIMITED POWER OF THE CHIEF. 

Great as is the power of the chief, it is much more limited than that 
which is enjoyed by the chiefs of the African tribes. The American chief 
has no control over life, or limb, or liberty. He takes the lead in coun- 
cil, and if an offender be cited before the councillors, his voice carries 
great weight with it, but nothing more. Should he be the war chief, he 
cannot compel a single man to follow him to battle, nor can he punish 
one of his followers for deserting him. Any of the warriors, even the 
very youngest, may follow or desert his chief as he pleases, the principal 
check against desertion being the contempt with which a warrior is sure 
to be regarded if he leaves a chief who is worthy of his office. 

The chiefs have, as a rule, no advantage over the other members of 
the tribe in point of wealth. A chief would soon lose the popularity on 
which his influence depends if he were to amass wealth for himself. By 
virtue of his office, he has a larger house or tent than the rest of the tribe, 
and he generally possesses a few more wives. But he is often actually 
poorer than most of the warriors, thinking himself bound in honor to dis- 
tribute among the tribe the spoils that he takes in war. Many chiefs 
even dress worse than the warriors under their command, so as not to 

28 



434 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

excite envy, and only assume their splendid dress of office on great 
occasions. 

The question of dress is really an important one. Varying as it does 
among the different tribes, there is a general character which runs through 
the whole. 

Every man without distinction wears a scanty dress. In battle or 
hunting, and in all cases in which exertion is required, he contents him- 
self with this single garment ; but when he is enjoying himself at home, 
he assumes his full costume. He wears a pair of leggings reaching to 
the hips, and falling as low as the ankles, sometimes spreading well over 
them. These leggings are mostly adorned with little bells, bits of fur, 
or similar decorations ; and if the wearer be a successful warrior, he 
fringes them along the sides with tufts of hair taken from the head of a 

slain enemy. 

AS GOOD AS THE VICTORIA CROSS. 

He has also a loose coat descending to the knees, and ornamented in 
a similar manner with feathers or scalp-locks, and when the owner has 
performed any conspicuous feat of valor, he makes a rude painting of the 
event. This answers the same purpose as the Victoria Cross in Britain. 
Although it is conferred by the man himself, it is equally valuable. No 
man would dare to depict on his robe any deed or valor which he had not 
performed, as he would be challenged by the other warriors to prove his 
right to the decoration, and, if he failed to do so, would be utterly scorned 
by them. The chief Mah-to-toh-pa represented on his robe a series of 
events in which he had killed no less than fourteen of the enemy with 
his own hand. Sometimes, when the tribe uses skin huts or wigwams, 
the warriors also paint their adventures upon the walls of their dwellings. 

From a similar spirit the scars and wounds received in war are kept 
covered with scarlet-paint, and when a man has succeeded in killing a 
grizzly bear he is entitled to wear its skin, claws and teeth. The usual 
mode of so doing is to string the claws into necklaces and bracelets, and 
to make the skin into robes. Sometimes they dress the skin without 
removing the claws, and wear it in such a fashion that the claws are 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 435 

conspicuously seen. Owing to the extreme ferocity, strength, and cun- 
ning of the bear, to kill one of these animals is considered equivalent to 
killing a warrior, and the claw necklace is as honorable an ornament as 
the much prized scalp. Some of the most valiant hunters have killed 
several of these animals, and it is a point of honor with them to appear 
on, great occasions with all their spoils, so that they have to exercise con- 
siderable ingenuity, and display some forty huge claws about their per- 
sons in a sufficiently conspicuous manner. 

All the dress of a North American Indian is made of skin, mostly 
that of the deer, and in dressing it the natives are unrivalled, contriving 
to make a leather which is as soft as silk, is nearly white, and which may 
be wetted and dried any number of times without becoming harsh. 

The skin is first washed in strong lye, made of wood-ashes and 
water, so as to loosen the hair, which is then scraped off. The hide is 
next stretched tightly upon the ground upon a frame, or by means of a 
number of wooden pegs driven firmly into the ground. In this position 
it remains for several days, the brains of the animal being spread thickly 
upon it, and rubbed into it. The next process is to scrape it carefully 
with a blunt knife, the native tanner pressing heavily upon it, and scrap- 
ing every portion of the hide. 

HOW THE SKIN IS HARDENED. 

The process by which it is made capable of resisting the effects of 
water has yet to be undergone. A hole is made in the ground, and a 
quantity of rotten wood is piled in it, so that when lighted it will continue 
to smoulder for a long time, and produce smoke, but no flame. Around 
the hole are stuck a number of sticks, which are then tied together at 
the top, so as to make the framework of a sort of tent. The wood is then 
set on fire, the hides are placed within the tent, and over the sticks are 
wrapped other hides carefully fastened together, so as to prevent the 
smoke from escaping. For several days the hides are left in the smoke, 
and at the expiration of that time they have assumed the peculiar quality 
which has been described. The whole of the processes are conducted 



436 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

by women, manual labor being beneath the dignity of a man and a 
warrior. 

The headdress of a North American Indian deserves some attention. 
Variable as are the modes of dressing the hair, no warrior ever wears 
his hair short. By so doing he would be laking an unfair advantage of 
an adversary. When a warrior is killed, or even totally disabled, the 
successful adversary has a right to take his scalp, in which he would be 
much impeded if the hair was short. Moreover, he would lose the hon- 
orable trophy with which he is entitled to fringe his garments. So for 
a warrior to wear his hair short would be a tacit acknowledgement that 
he was afraid of loosing his scalp, and all the men therefore always 
leave at least one lock of hair attached to the crown of the head. 

TOSSING PLUME OF EAGLE FEATHERS. 

A great chief always wears, in addition to the ordinary headdress of 
the warrior, a plume of eagle feathers, by which he is made as conspicu- 
ous as possible, so that the enemy shall have no difficulty in recognizing 
him. The form of plume varies according to the different tribes. That 
of the Mandans is made of a long strip of ermine, to which are fastened 
the quill feathers of the war eagle, so as to form a crest beginning at the 
back of the head and descending to the feet. These quills are so valu- 
able that a perfect tail of the war eagle is considered to be worth a first- 
rate horse. 

Two horns may sometimes be seen projecting from the headdress. 
This is a decoration very rarely seen, and ouly conferred by the chief 
and council upon the most distinguished warriors. Even the head chief 
will not be able to assume them unless by the general vote of the council, 
and in the case of the Mandans the second chief wore them, while the 
head chief was not privileged to do so. Even a brave may wear them, 
though he be below the rank of chief. 

They are made from horns divided longitudinally, scraped nearly 
as thin as paper, and highly polished. They are loosely attached at the 
base, so that they can be flung backward or forward by the movement of 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 437 

the head, and give a wonderful animation to the action of the wearer 
when he is speaking. This elaborate headdress is very seldom worn, 
and is only assumed on occasions of special state, such as public festi- 
vals, war parades, or the visits of other chiefs. In battle the wearer 
always assumes the headdress by way of challenge to the enemy. There 
is 'good reason for not always wearing this dress. 

As a contrast to the dress of a noted warrior, we may take that of a 
mere dand}^, a few of whom are sure to be found in every tribe. They 
are always remarkable for elegance of person and effeminacy of nature, 
having the greatest horror of exposing themselves to danger, and avoid- 
ing equally the bear, the bison, and the armed enemy. Consequently 
they may not deck themselves with the plumage of the war eagle, every 
feather of which signifies a warrior slain by the warrior's own hand. 
Neither may they adorn their necks with the claws of the grizzly bear, 
their robes with scalp locks and paintings, nor their bodies with the scar- 
let streaks that tell of honorable wounds received in battle. 

VARIOUS ORNAMENTS. 

Such ornaments would at once be torn from them by the indignant 
warriors of the tribe, and they are forced to content themselves with 
mountain goat, doe, and ermine skins, swans' down, porcupine quills, 
and similar articles — all more beautiful than the sombre eagle quills, 
bears' claws, and scalp-locks that mark the brave. 

They spend their whole lives in idleness, and do not even join the 
athletic games of which the Americans are exceedingly fond, but devote 
their whole energies to the adornment of their persons. They will 
occupy four or five hours in making their toilets, being fastidious as to 
the arrangement of every hair of their eyebrows, and trying by the 
mirror the effect of various expressions of countenance. 

Having spent the whole morning in this occupation, the}'- sally out 
on their horses, seated on white and soft saddles, beautifully ornamented 
with porcupine quills and ermine, and lounge about the village for an 
hour or two, displaying their handsome persons to the best advantage. 



438 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

They then saunter, still on horseback, to the place where the young 
warriors are practising athletic exercises, and watch them for an hour or 
two, plying all the while their turkey-tail fans. Fatigued with the effort, 
they lounge honii again, turn their horses loose, take some refreshment, 
smoke a pipe, and fan themselves to sleep. 

These men are utterly despised b}^ the warriors, as Mr. Catlin found. 
He was anxious to procure a postrait of one of these men : 

" Whilst I have been painting, day by day, there have been two or 
three of these fops continually strutting and taking their attitudes in 
front of my door, decked out in all their finery, without receiving other 
information than such as they could discover through the seams and 
cracks of my cabin. The chiefs, I observed, passed them without notice, 
and, of course, without inviting them in ; and they seemed to figure 
about my door from day to day in their best dresses and best attitudes, 
as if in hopes that I would select them as models for my canvas. It was 
natural that I should do so, for their costume and personal appearance 
were entirely more beautiful than anything else to be seen in the village. 

THE POOR FELLOW'S GRATITUDE. 

" My plans were laid, and one day, when I had got through with all 
of the head men who were willing to sit to be painted, and there were two 
or three of the chiefs lounging in my room, I stepped to the door, and 
tapped one of these fellows on the shoulder, who took the hint, evidently 
well pleased and delighted with the signal and honorable notice I had at 
length taken of him and his beautiful dress. Readers, you cannot 
imagine what was the expression of gratitude which beamed forth in this 
poor fellow's face, and how high his heart beat with joy and pride at the 
idea of my selecting him to be immortal alongside of the chiefs and 
worthies whose portraits he saw ranged around the room ; and by which 
honor he undoubtedly considered himself well paid for two or three 
weeks of regular painting, and greasing, and dressing, and standing 
alternately on one leg and the other at the door of my premises. 

" Well, I placed him before me, and a canvas on my easel, and 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 439 

chalked him out at full length. He was truly a beautiful subject for the 
brush, aud I was filled with enthusiasm. 

"His dress from head to foot was made of the skins of the moun- 
tain goat, dressed so neatly that they were almost as soft and white as 
Canton crape. Around the bottom and the sides it was trimmed with 
ermine, and porcupine quills of beautiful dyes garnished it in a hundred 
parts. His hair, which was long and spread over his back and shoulders 
extending nearly to the ground, was all combed back, and parted on his 
forehead like that of a woman. He was a tall and fine figure, with ease 
and grace in his movements that were worthy of better caste. In his 
left hand he held a beautful pipe, in his right hand he plied his fan, and 
on his wrist was attached his whip of elkhorn and his fly-brush, made of 
the buffalo's tail. There was naught about him of the terrible, and 
naught to shock the finest and chastest intellect." 

LEFT IN ANGRY SILENCE. 

Unfortunately, the portrait was never taken, for the chiefs were so 
exceedingly offended that so contemptible a being should be put on the 
same level as themselves by being painted, that they left the hut in 
angry silence, and sent a message to the effect that, if Mr. Catlin painted 
the portrait of so worthless a man, he must destroy all the portraits of 
the chiefs and warriors. The message was also given to the obnoxious 
individual, who at once yielded the point, walked consequentially out of 
the hut, and took up his old station at the door as if nothing had hap- 
pened to disturb his equanimity. 

On their feet the American Indians wear moccasins ; that is, shoes 
made of soft leather, the sole of which is no thicker than the upper 
part. To a white man walking in moccasins is at first very fatiguing, 
on account of the habit of turning out the toes? When, however, the 
white man learns to walk as the natives do, with his toes rather turned 
in, he soon finds that the moccasin is a better preservative of the feet 
than the European shoe, with its thick and almost inflexible sole. 

The dress of the women is made of the same materials as that of 



440 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

the men, and differs chiefly in its greater length, reaching nearly to the 
ankle. It is generally embroidered in various patterns with colored 
porcupine quills, as are the leggings and moccasins. The women are 
fond of tattooing themselves, and produce blue and red patterns by the 
use of charcoal and vermilion rubbed into the punctures. Both sexes 
are furnished with large robes made of bison skins, and the inner side 
of these robes is often painted in curious patterns. One of these robes, 
in Mr. Catlin's collection, had a most elaborate figure of the sun in the 
centre, around which were figures of men and animals, showing the 
prowess of the owner both in war and hunting. 

Beads and such like ornaments, obtained from the white men, are 
much in fashion ; but long before a glass or porcelain bead was introduced 
into America, the natives had an ornament of their own manufacture. 
This is the celebrated wampum, an article which is now almost extinct. 
It is made of fresh water shells, which are found on the borders of the 
lakes and streams. The thick part of the shell is cut into cylinders an 
inch or so in length, and then bored longitudinally, like the " bugles " 
that are worn by European ladies. Indeed, when the shell is, as is mostly 
the case, a white one, the piece of wampum looks almost exactly like a 
fragment of clay tobacco-pipe stem. 

HOW WAMPUM IS WORN. 

The wampum is either strung like beads and worn round the neck, 
or is formed into war belts for the waist. It answers several purposes. 
In the first place, it acts, like the cowries of Africa, as a substitute for 
money, a certain number of hand breadths being the fixed value of a 
horse, a gun, or a robe. It is also the emblem of peace when presented 
by one chief to another, and, when war has ceased between two hostile 
tribes, a wampum belt is presented as a token that the two tribes are at 
peace. 

There is no particular beauty about the wampum. If the reader 
will break a tobacco-pipe stem into pieces an inch in length and string 
them on a thread, he will produce a very good imitation of a wampum 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 441 

necklace. Its only value lies in the labor represented by it ; and, as the 
white men have introduced tons of imitation wampum made of porcelain, 
which looks rather better than the real article, and is scarcely one-hun- 
dredth part of the value, the veritable wampum is so completely extinct 
among many of the tribes that, if one of the natives should wish to see 
a string of wampum, he must go to a museum for that purpose. 

The North American Indians are essentially a warlike people, 
measuring their respect for a man almost entirely by his conduct in battle 
and the number of enemies which he has slain. 

The very constitution of the tribes, which prevents any leader from 
enforcing obedience upon his followers, as is done with civilized armies, 
entirely precludes the possibility of such military manoeuvres as those 
which are employed in civilized countries, where bodies of men are 
wielded by the order of one individual. The leader can only give general 
orders, and leave his followers to carry them out in the way that best 
suits each individual. Consequently, war among these tribes is much of 
the guerrilla kind, where each combatant fights almost independently of 
the other, and the moral effect of mutual defence and support is therefore 
wanting. 

NO MILITARY TACTICS. 

A few very simple manoeuvres are known to them, and practised by 
them from infancy, but they lead to nothing more than skirmishing, the 
chief being merely the leader of his men, and expected to be in the post 
of danger. The idea of a general directing the battle from a place of 
comparative safety is unknown to them. 

The delaration of war is made in the full council of chiefs and doctors, 
the majority deciding the question. The chief who is to lead the expedi- 
tion then asks for volunteers by sending his reddened war pipe through 
the tribe by means of his messengers, and each warrior who draws a puff 
of smoke through its stem by that act enlists himself. 

After the pipe has gone its round and a sufficient number of men have 
volunteered, a grand war dance is got up in front of the chief's house, 
where has been set up a post covered with red paint, the sign of war. 



442 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

The newly enlisted warriors make their appearance with all their 
weapons, and execute a solemn dance, each man in succession dancing up 
to the reddened post and striking his axe into it as a public ratification of 
his promise. As has been mentioned, the leader always wears every 
decoration to which he is entitled, so as to make himself as conspicuous 
a mark as possible, while the braves and warriors wear scarcely any 
clothing, and have their faces so disguised with black and red paint that 
even their most intimate friends can scarcely recognize them. 

As among us, white and red are the signs of peace and war, and 
each leader carries with him two small flags, one of white bison's hide, 
and the other of reddened leather. These are kept rolled round the staff 
like a railway flag-signal, and only produced when required. 

At the present day fire-arms have superseded the original weapons 

of the American Indians, and much changed the mode of warfare. We 

will, however, contemplate the warfare of these tribes as it was conducted 

before the introduction of these weapons, when the bow, the club, the axe, 

the spear, and in some districts the lasso, were the only weapons 

employed. 

TWO PATTERNS OF CLUBS. 

The clubs are short, seldom exceeding a yard in length, and mostly 
eight or nine inches shorter. They are almost invariably made upon one 
or other of two models, but these patterns serve the purpose very well. 
The primitive idea of a club is evidently derived from a stick with a 
knob at the end, and that is the form which is most in vogue. In the 
common kind of club the whole of the weapon is quite plain, but in 
many specimens the native has imbedded a piece of bone or spike of 
iron in the ball or bulb at the end of the club, and has decorated the 
handle with feathers, bits of cloth, scalps, and similar ornaments. 

The second kind of club is shaped something like the stock of a gun, 
and has always a spike projecting from the angle. In most cases this 
spike is nothing more than a pointed piece of iron or the head of a spear, 
but in some highly valued weapons a very broad steel blade is employed, 
its edges lying parallel with the length of the weapon. Such a club as 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 443 

this is often decorated with some hundreds of brass-headed nails driven 
into it so as to form patterns, and is besides ornamented so profusely with 
strings and feathers, and long trailing scalp locks five or six feet in 
length, that the efficacy of the weapon must be seriously impeded by 
them. 

I have handled both kinds of clubs, and found this latter weapon to 
be most awkward and unwieldy, its thick, squared, sloping handle giving 
scarcely any power to the grasp, while the abundant ornaments are 
liable to entanglement in the other weapons that are carried about the 
person. 

The shield is made by a very ingenious process from the thick hide 
which covers the shoulders of the bull bison. Making a shield is a very 
serious, not to say solemn business, and is conducted after the following 
manner. 

HOW SHIELDS ARE MADE. 

The warrior selects a piece of hide at least twice as large as the 
intended shield, and from the hoof and joints of the bison prepares a 
strong glue. He then digs in the ground a hole the exact size of the 
shield, and almost two feet in diameter, and makes in it a smouldering 
fire of decayed wood. These arrangements being completed, his par- 
ticular friends assemble for the purpose of dancing, singing, and smoking 
round the shield maker, and invoking the Great Spirit to render the 
weapon proof against spears and arrows. 

The fire being lighted and the glue heated, the skin is stretched 
above the hole by means of numerous pegs round the edge, which keep 
it a few inches above the ground. As soon as the skin is thoroughly 
heated, the glue is spread over it and rubbed carefully into the fibres. 
This operation causes the skin to contract forcibly, and at the same 
time to become thicker. As it contracts the family of the shield maker 
busy themselves in loosening the pegs, and shifting them inwards so as 
to yield with the contraction of the skin, and at the same time to keep it 
on the full stretch. This goes on until the skin has absorbed all the 
glue which it is capable of receiving, and has contracted to the very 



444 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

utmost. By this time it is only half as wide, though twice as thick as it 
was when first placed on the fire, and is allowed to cool slowly, after 
which it is carefully trimmed into shape, furnished with a strap, painted 
with the "totem" or other symbol of the owner, and decorated with the 
usual ornaments. 

The completed shield is rather flexible, but is so strong that it will 
resist the direct blow of a spear or arrow, and if turned a little obliquely 
will throw off even a pistol bullet. The specimen shown in the illustra- 
tion is painted light green, with a white pattern. Above it is a cover 
made of very thin and soft leather, which is thrown over it in case of 
rain. The long strap is for the purpose of throwing the shield when not 
in use over the shoulders, where it hangs together with the bow and 

quiver. 

A LEAF-SHAPED BLADE. 

The spear presents nothing especially worthy of remark, except 
that the blade is leaf-shaped, long and narrow, and the shaft is often so 
covered with feathers and scalp locks that there is barely enough space 
for the hands of the wielder. It sometimes measures fourteen or fifteen 
feet in length. 

The Indians are not celebrated for their skill in marksmanship, which 
indeed is scarcely required, as they never shoot at long ranges, like the 
old English bowmen. But they are wonderfully skilled in discharging a 
number of arrows in rapid succession, a practiced archer being able to 
throw twenty or more in a minute while galloping at full speed. 

There is a game much practiced by the various tribes, by means of 
which this peculiar modification of skill in archery is kept at the highest 
pitch. The young men assemble with their bows and arrows, and each 
brings several articles of property which he is willing to stake on his 
skill, and throws one of them on the ground. When every one has thrown 
down his stake, the first archer advances with his bow and ten arrows 
clenched in his left hand. He then draws the arrows and shoots them 
upward as rapidly as he can, the object being to throw as many arrows as 
possible into the air before the first arrow has reached the ground. He 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 445 

who gets the greatest number simultaneously in the air wins the stakes. 
vSome archers are so skilful that they will discharge the eighth arrow 
before the first has touched the ground. 

We now come to the axe or tomahawk. The most primitive toma- 
hawk is that which is made of a stone fixed to a wooden handle. The 
stone axe-heads which are found so abundantly as relics of a bygone age, 
were fastened on their handles in precisely the same manner. This kind 
of weapon is now so rare that it is scarcely possible to procure a specimen. 

The steel-headed tomahawk has in most tribes superseded that which 
is made of stone. Vast numbers of these steel axe-heads are made and 
sold at a very high price to the Indians. 

FANTASTIC TOMAHAWK. 

The form which is most valued isa" pipe-tomahawk," the upper part 
of the head being formed into a pipe-bowl, and the smoke drawn through 
the handle, which is plentifully decorated with porcupine quills and 
feathers. This is specially valued by the American Indians, because it 
saves them the trouble of carrying a separate pipe, and is most formidable 
as a weapon, and in time of peace is an efficient axe for chopping fire- 
wood and similar purposes. The tomahawk is used both in close combat 
and as a missile, in which latter capacity it is hurled with wonderful force 
and accuracy of aim. 

Besides these weapons, every warrior carries the scalping knife, 
equally useful for war and domestic purposes. Almost without an excep- 
tion every scalping knife used in North America is nothing more than a 
common butcher's knife, made for a few cents, and sold to the Indians at 
the price of a horse. After all, it is perhaps the very best instrument that 
they could use. One of my friends, an experienced hunter, said that he 
discarded all his elaborate and costly hunting knives, and preferred the 
butcher's knife, which combines the advantages of strength, lightness, 
and the capability of taking an edge like a razor. 

Every one has heard of the custom of scalping as practiced by these 
tribes, a custom which takes the place of the preserved heads of the Dyak, 



446 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

and Mundurucu. When an American Indian slays an enemy, he removes 
the scalp as a proof of his victory. The scalp is a piece of skin, with the 
hair attached to it, taken from the very crown of the head, so as to 
exhibit that portion of the skin where the hair radiates from a centre. 
The size of the scalp is of no importance, provided that it only contain 
this indispensable mark. 

Generally, the piece of skin secured is almost as large as the palm 
of the hand, and is taken in the following manner: The enemy being 
fallen, the victor sits behind him on the ground, seizes the scalp lock 
with his left hand, and with the knife makes two semi-circular incisions 
in the skin, cutting it completely down to the bone. He then twists the 
scalp-lock round both his hands, puts his feet on the victim's shoulders, 
and with a violent pull drags off the circular piece of skin with the hair 
adhering to it. 

This whole scene is enacted in much less time than it has taken to 
write, the Indians being well practised in their sham fights before they 
come to taking scalps in actual battle. Brandishing the scalp in one 
hand and the knife in the other, the exultant conqueror utters the terri- 
ble " scalping yell," which even when given in a mock battle seems as 
if it were uttered by a demon rather than a man. 

SCALP CONSIDERED PROOF OF DEATH. 

The scalped man is always supposed to be dead or dying, and, as 
the scalp is always accepted as a proof of death, the native warrior would 
never scalp a man whom he thought likely to recover. There have, how- 
ever, been many instances, where in the heat of battle a man has been 
scalped while stunned, though without a mortal wound, and has after- 
ward recovered and lived for many years. 

When the battle is over and the warrior returns to his home, he 
dresses the scalp for preservation. This is usually done by stretch- 
ing it in a sort of battledore, made by bending a flexible stick and 
lashing the ends together, and it is then solemnly " danced " before it 
takes its place with the other valuables of the owner. Some of the scalps 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 447 

are quite small, not larger than a penny, and are hung on the bridles of 
the horses, or the handles of clubs. 

Generally, however, they are, when quite dry, painted on the inside 
so as to resemble a human face, and hung to the end of a long, slight 
pole. On a fine day, the head chief of an encampment mostly orders 
that the scalps should be hung out, and sets the example, by protruding 
from the top of his own hut the pole on which are hung the scalps which 
he has taken. All the warriors at once follow his example, so that by 
walking round the village and counting the scalps, a stranger can learn 
the standing of every warrior. 

REASON WHY SCALPS ARE SMALL. 

It has been mentioned that many of the scalps are very small. 
Their limited size is thus accounted for. If a warrior be hurried, as is 
mostly the case when scalping a fallen man in the heat of battle, he con_ 
tents himself with the scalp alone. But, if he should have leisure, he 
removes the whole of the hair-bearing portion of the skin, and treats it 
as follows: He first cuts out a small circular piece containing the crown 
of the head, this being the actual scalp. The remainder of the hair he 
divides into little locks, and with them he fringes the seams of his leg- 
gings, the arms and edges of his coat, the shaft of his spear, the handle of 
his club, etc., etc. The whole of Mah-to-toh-pa's dress was covered with 
fringes made from the hair of those whom he slew in battle. 

A dress thus ornamented is valued beyond all price, and there is 
scarcely any price sufficiently high to tempt a warrior to part with these 
trophies of his valor. 

The "scalp dance " is a ceremony quite in keeping with the custom 
of securing the trophy. A scalp dance of the Sioux is thus described by 
Mr.Catlin : " Among this tribe, as I learned whilst residing with them, 
it is danced in the night by the light of their torches, just before going 
to bed. When a war party returns from a war excursion, bringing home 
with them the scalps of their enemies, they generally dance them for 
fifteen nights in succession, vaunting forth the most extravagant boasts 



INTO 



448 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

of their wonderful prowess in war, whilst they brandish their war weapons 

in their hands. 

" A number of young women are selected to aid (though they do not 

actually join in) the dance, by stepping into the centre of the ring and 

holding up the scalps that have been recently taken, while the warriors 

dance, or rather jump, around in a circle, brandishing their weapons, 

and barking and yelping in the most frightful manner, all jumping on 

both feet at a time, with a simultaneous stamp, and blow, and thrust of 

their weapons, with which it would seem as if they were actually cutting 

and carving each other to pieces. During these frantic leaps and yells, 

every man distorts his face to the utmost power of his muscles, darting 

about his glaring eyeballs, and snapping his teeth as if he were in the 

heat — and actually breathing through his nostrils the very hissing death 

— of battle. 

FRIGHTFUL SCENES AT MIDNIGHT. 

" No description that can be written could ever convey more than a 
feeble outline of the frightful effects of these scenes enacted in the dead 
and darkness of night, under the glaring light of their blazing flambeaux ; 
nor could all the years allotted to mortal man in the least obliterate or 
deface the vivid impression that one scene of this kind would leave upon 
his memory." 

Mr. Catlin suggests with much reason, that these dances are pro- 
pitiatory of the spirits of the slain men, showing how highly their valor 
was prized by the conquerors, and the great respect and estimation in 
which they were held, though the fortune of war had gone against them. 

A good example of the war career of an American Indian chief may 
be gained by the exploits of Mah-to-toh-pa, as displayed on his robe, and 
explained by him to Mr. Catlin. It was covered with twelve groups of 
figures, which will be briefly described. 

His first exploit was killing a Sioux chief, who had already killed 
three Riccarees. This feat entitled him to wear eagles' quills on his 
lance, and in the second group he is shown as killing with this lance a 
Shienne chief, who challenged him to single combat. The third scene 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 449 

represents a combat in which Mah-to-toh-pa was forsaken by his party, 
and yet, though badly wounded, killed a Shienne warrior in the presence 
of some thirty of his fellows. 

The fourth scene shows a great chief of the Shiennes killed by this 
warrior, whose splendid headdress was assumed by his slayer. The fifth 
picture represents a strange episode in a battle. Mah-to-toh-pa was travel- 
ing with a party of Riccarees, when they were fired upon by a war 
party of Sioux. The Riccarees fled, leaving Mah-to-toh-pa, who sprang 
from his horse, faced the Sioux on foot, killed one of them, and secured 
his scalp. 

The sixth drawing illustrates a most remarkable piece of personal 
history. A Riccaree brave, named Won-ga-tap, shot the brother of Mah- 
to-toh-pa with an arrow, drove his well-known spear into the body of the 
fallen man, and left it there, as a challenge to the surviving brother. 
The challenge was accepted. Mah-to-toh-pa found the body, recognized 
the spear, and vowed that he would slay the murderer of his brother with 
the same weapon. Four years passed without an opportunity to fulfil 
the vow, when he could no longer brook delay, but dashed out of his 
house with the fatal spear in his hand, and a small wallet of parched 
corn at his belt. He told the Mandans to mention his name no more 
unless he returned victorious with the scalp of Won-ga-tap. 

TRAVELED ALONE BY NIGHT. 

Amid the awe-struck silence of his people he left the village, and 
disappeared over the grassy bluffs. For two hundred miles he traveled 
alone and by night, always concealing himself by day, until he reached 
the Riccaree village, which he boldly entered, mixing with the inhabi- 
tants as if he were a friendly stranger. He knew the position of Won- 
ga-tap's hue, and after having seen that the intended victim and his 
wife had smoked the evening pipe and were in bed, he walked gently 
into the hut, sat down by the fire, took some meat out of the cooking- 
pot, and began to eat in order to strengthen himself for the fulfilment 
of his task. This was according to the hospitable custom of the Ainer- 

29 



450 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

ican Indians. If a man be hungry, he need not ask for food, but has 
only to go to the nearest hut and help himself. 

The repast being ended, Mah-to-toh-pa took the still warm pipe, 
filled it with tobacco, and began to smoke it, breathing, with every curl 
of smoke, a prayer for success in his undertaking. Once or twice the 
wife of Won-ga-tap asked her husband who was eating in their hut, but 
he replied that some one must be hungry, and was helping himself. 

SLEW HIS VICTIM. 

When the last smoke-wreath had ascended, Mah-to-toh-pa turned 
toward the bed, and with his foot pushed an ember on the fire, so as to 
make a blaze by which he might see the exact position of his victim. In 
an instant he leaped toward the bed, drove the spear through the heart 
of Won-ga-tap, tore off his scalp, snatched the spear from his heart, and 
darted out of the hut with the scalp of his victim in one hand, and in 
the other the fatal spear, with the blood of Won-ga-tap already drying 
over that of the man he had killed four years before. The whole village 
was in an uproar, but Mah-to-toh-pa succeeded in making his escape, 
and on the sixth day after leaving the Mandan village, he re-entered it 
with the scalp of his enemy. 

Another of these pictures records a single combat fought with a 
Shienne chief in presence of both war parties. They fought on horse- 
back, until Mah-to-toh-pa' s powder horn was shattered by a bullet. The 
Shienne chief flung away his gun, horn, and bullet pouch, and chal- 
lenged the foe with bow and arrow. Both parties were wounded in the 
limbs, but kept their bodies covered with their shields. 

Presently Mah-to-toh-pa' s horse fell with an arrow in his heart. 
The Shienne chief immediately dismounted, and proceeded with the 
fight until he had exhausted his arrows, when he flung the empty quiver 
on the ground, challenging with his knife, the only weapon which he 
had left. The challenge was accepted, and they rushed on each other, 
but Mah-to-toh-pa had left his knife at home, and was unarmed. He 
closed with his antagonist, and a struggle ensued for the knife. Mah- 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 451 

to-toli-pa was dreadfully wounded in the hands, but at last wrested the 
knife from his adversary, drove it into his heart, and in silence claimed 
the scalp of his fallen foe. 

On another occasion he alone faced sixty Assiniboins, drove them 
back, and killed one of them. It was in this battle, that he earned the 
name of "Four Bears," by which must be understood the grizzly bear, 
the most terrible quadruped of North America. This is a sample of the 
mode iu which warfare is conducted by the North American Indians — a 
strange mixture of lofty and chivalrous nobility with cunning and 
deceit. In fact, in contemplating these interesting tribes, we are thrown 
back to the time of Ulysses, whose great fame was equally derived from 
his prowess in battle and his skill in deceiving his foes, or, in other 
words, of being a most accomplished liar. 

WARRIORS FROM BOYHOOD. 

The men are taught the operations of war from a very early age. 
Every morning, all the lads who are above seven years old and upward, 
and have not been admitted among the men, are taken to some distance 
from the village, where they are divided into two opposing bodies, each 
under the command of an experienced warrior. They are armed with 
little bows, arrows made of grass stems, and wooden knives stuck in their 
belts. In their heads they slightly weave a plaited tuft of grass to rep- 
resent the scalp-lock. 

The two parties then join in sham combat, which is made to resemble 
a real fight as much as possible. When any of the combatants is struck 
in a vital part, he is obliged to fall as if dead, when his antagonist goes 
through the operation of scalping with his wooden knife, places the scalp 
in his belt, utters the wild yell, and again joins in the battle. As no one 
may fight without a scalp-lock, the fallen adversary is obliged to with- 
draw from the fight. This goes on for an hour or so, when the mock 
fight is stopped, and the lads are praised or rebuked according to the 
skill and courage which they have shown, the number of scalps at the 
belt being the surest criterion of merit. 



452 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

It is well known that after a battle the American Indians torture 
their prisoners, and that they display the most diabolical ingenuity in 
devising the most excruciating torments. Still, there has been much 
exaggeration in the accounts of this custom. They do not torture all 
their prisoners, selecting only a few for this purpose, the others being 
absorbed into the tribe by marriage with the widows whose husbands 
have been killed in battle, and enjoying equal rights with the original 
members of the tribe. 

MOTIVES FOR TORTURE. 

Neither is the torture practised with the idea of revenge, though it 
is likely that vengeful feelings will arise when the victim is bound to 
the stake. Superstition seems to be at the root of the torture, which 
is intended to propitiate the spirit of those members of their own tribe 
who have suffered the like treatment at the hands of their adversaries. 
The doomed warrior accepts his fate with the imperturbable demeanor 
which is an essential part of a North American Indian's character, and, 
for the honor of his tribe, matches his endurance against the pain which 
his enemies can inflict. 

Tortures too terrible even to be mentioned are tried in succession, 
for when the victim is once bound to the stake, the Indian never has 
been known to relent in his purpose, which is to extort acknowledgments 
of suffering from the captured warrior, and thereby to disgrace not only 
himself but the tribe to which he belongs. He, in the meanwhile, prides 
himself on showing his enemies how a warrior can die. He chants the 
praises of his tribe and their deeds, boasts of all the harm that he has 
done to the tribe into whose power he has fallen, ridicules their best 
warriors, and endeavors to anger them to such an extent that they may 
dash out his brains, and so spare him further torture. He will even 
laugh at their attempts to extort cries of pain from a warrior, and tell 
them that they do not know how to torture. 

One remarkable instance of endurance in a captured Creek warrior 
is told by Mr. Adair. The man had been captured by the Shawnees, and 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 453 

forced to run the gauntlet naked through all the tribe ; he had been tied 
to the stake, and was horribly tortured with gun-barrels heated redhot. 
All the efforts of his enemies only drew from him taunts and jeers, to 
the effect that the Shawuees were so ignorant that they did not even 
know how to torture a bound prisoner. Great warrior though he was, 
he had fallen into their hands through some fault in addressing the 
Great Spirit, but that he had enough virtue left to show them the differ- 
ence between a Creek and a Shawnee. Let them only unbind him, and 
allow him to take a redhot gun-barrel out of the fire, and he would show 
them a much better way of torturing than any which they knew. 

A DARING ESCAPE. 

His demeanor had excited the respect of the Shawnees, and they 
unbound him and took him to the fire, in which were lying the redhot 
tubes. Unhesitatingly, he picked up one of them with his bare hands, 
sprang at the surrounding crowd, striking right and left with this fear- 
ful weapon, cleared a passage through the astonished warriors, and leaped 
down a precipice into the river. He swam the river amid a shower of 
bullets, gained a little island iu its midst, and, though instantly followed 
by numbers of his disconcerted enemies, actually succeeded in getting 
away. In spite of the injuries which he had suffered, and which would 
have killed an ordinary European, he recovered, and lived for many years, 
the implacable foe of the Shawnees. 

A somewhat similar adventure occurred to a Katahba warrior, who 
was pursued by a band of Senecas, and at last captured, though not 
until he had contrived to kill seven of them. A warrior of such prowess 
was guarded with double vigilance, and he was brought to the Seneca 
village for the torture, after having been beaten at every encampment 
through which the party had passed. 

As the torturers were taking him to the stake, he, like the Creek 
warrior, burst from his captors, and flung himself into the river, swim- 
ming across in safety. He paused for a moment on the opposite 
bank to express emphatically his contempt for the pursuers who were 



454 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

crowding down the bank and into the river, and then dashed forward so 
fast that he gained nearly a day's journey upon the foremost of the 
pursuers. 

Five of the enemy pressed upon him, and, though naked and 
unarmed, he deliberately waited for them. At night, when they were all 
asleep, not having thought a sentry needful, he crept up to the party ? 
snatched one of their tomahawks, and killed them all before they could 
wake. He scalped them, clothed and armed himself, invigorated his 
wasted frame with food, and set off to the spot where he had slain 
the seven foes as he was first pursued. They had been buried for 
the sake of preserving their scalps, but he found the place of burial, 
scalped them all, and not until then did he make for his home 
which he reached in safety. 

THOUGHT TO BE A WIZARD. 

When the rest of the pursuers came to the place where the five had 
been killed, they held a council, and determined that a man who could 
do such deeds unarmed must be a wizard whom they could not hope to 
resist, and that the best course that they could pursue was to go home 
again. 

The reader will not fail to notice the great stress that is there laid 
on the possession of the scalp. A war party of Indians care compara- 
tively little for the loss of one of their number, provided that they con- 
ceal his body so that the enemy shall not take his scalp. Here we have 
an instance of a man pursued by numbers of infuriated and relentless 
foes deliberately going back to the spot where he thought his slain 
enemies might be buried, and a second time risking his life in order to 
secure the trophies of victory. He knew that his intention would be 
foreseen, and yet the value set upon the scalp was so incalculable that 
even the risk of undergoing the torture was as nothing in comparison. 

On more than one occasion, a warrior who has been struck down, 
and felt himself unable to rise, has saved his life by feigning death, and 
permitting his victorious foe to tear off his scalp without giving the least 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 455 

sign of suffering. He must lose his scalp at any rate, and he might 
possibly contrive to save his life. 

Several of the tribes are remarkable for the use which they make 
of the horse in war, and their marvelous skill in riding. The most cele- 
brated tribe in this respect are the Camanches, the greater part of whose 
life is spent on horseback. As is often the case with those who spend 
much of their time on horseback, the Camanches are but poor walkers, 
and have a slouching aud awkward gait. No sooner, however, is a 
Camauche on the back of a horse, than his whole demeanor alters, and 
he and the animal which he bestrides seems one and the same being, 
actuated with the same spirit. " A Camanche on his feet," writes Mr. 
Catlin, " is out of his element, and comparatively almost as awkward as 
a monkey on the ground without a limb or branch to cling to. But 
the moment he lays his hand upon his horse, his face becomes hand- 
some, and he gracefully flies away like a different being." 

REMARKABLE FEAT ON HORSEBACK. 

There is one feat in which all the Camanche warriors are trained 
from their infancy. As the man is dashing along at full gallop, he will 
suddenly drop over the side of his horse, leaving no part of him visible 
except the sole of one foot, which is hitched over the horse's back as a 
purchase by which he can pull himself to an upright position. In this 
attitude he can ride for any distance, and moreover can use with deadly 
effect either his bow or his fourteen-foot lance. 

One of their favorite modes of attack is to gallop toward the enemy 
at full speed, and then, just before they come within range, they drop 
upon the opposite side of their horses, dash past the foe, and pour upon him 
a shower of arrows directed under their horses' necks, and sometimes even 
thrown under their bellies. All the time it is nearly useless for the enemy 
to return the shots, as the whole body of the Camanche is hidden behind 
the horse, and there is nothing to aim at save the foot just projecting 
over the animal's back. 

To enable them to perform this curious manoeuvre,, the Camanches 



456 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

plait a short and strong halter of horse hair. This halter is passed 
nnder the horse's neck, and the ends are firmly plaited into the mane, just 
above the withers, so as to leave a loop hanging under the animal's neck. 
Into this loop the warrior drops with accurate precision, sustaining the 
weight of his body on the upper part of the bent arm, and allowing the 
spear to fall into the bend of the elbow. Thus both his arms are at 
liberty to draw the bow or wield the spear ; and as in such cases he 
always grasps a dozen arrows in his left hand, together with the bow, he 
can discharge them without having recourse to his quiver. 

HOW THE TRICK IS DETECTED. 

Sometimes the Camanches try to steal upon their enemies by leav- 
ing their lances behind them, slinging themselves along the sides of 
their steeds, and approaching carelessly, as though they were nothing 
but a troop of wild horses without riders. A very quick eye is nee.ded 
to detect this guise, which is generally betrayed by the fact that the 
horses always keep the same side toward the spectator, which would 
very seldom be the case were they wild and unrestrained in their move- 
ments. 

Bvery Camanche has one favorite horse, which he never mounts 
except for war or the chase, using an inferior animal on ordinary occa- 
sions. Swiftness is the chief quality for which the charger is selected, 
and for no price would the owner part with his steed. Like all uncivilized 
people he treats his horse with a strange mixture of cruelty and kind- 
ness. While engaged in the chase, for example, he spurs and whips the 
animal most ruthlessly ; but as soon as he returns, he carefully hands 
over his valued animal to his women, who are waiting to receive it, and 
who treat it as if it were a cherished member of the family. 

It need scarcely be added that the Camanches are most accomplished 
horse stealers, and that they seize every opportunity of robbing other 
tribes of their animals. When a band of Camanches sets out on a 
horse stealing expedition, the warriors who compose it are bound in 
honor not to return until they have achieved their object. Sometimes they 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 457 

are absent for more than two years before they can succeed in surprising; 
the settlement which contains the horses on which they have set their 
hearts, and they will lie in ambush for months, awaiting a favorable 
opportunity. 

The value set upon horses by the equestrian tribes cannot be better 
illustrated than by the singular custom of " smoking horses," which 
prevails in some parts of the country. 

When one of these tribes determine on making war, and find on mus- 
tering their forces that they have not sufficient horses, they send a 
messenger to a friendly tribe to say that on a certain day they will come 
to "smoke" a certain number of horses, and expect the animals to be 
ready for them. This is a challenge which is never refused, involving 
as it does the honor of the tribe. 

YOUNG WARRIORS ON HORSEBACK. 

On the appointed day, the young warriors who have no horses go to 
the friendly village, stripped and painted as if for war, and seat them- 
selves in a circle, all facing inward. They light their pipes and smoke 
in silence, the people of the village forming a large circle around them, 
leaving a wide space between themselves and their visitors. 

Presently in the distance there appears an equal number of young 
warriors on horseback, dashing along at full gallop, and in " Indian file" 
according to their custom. They gallop round the ring, and the fore- 
most rider, selecting one of the seated young men, stoops from his saddle 
as he passes, and delivers a terrible blow at his naked shoulders with 
his cruel whip. Each of his followers does the same, and they gallop 
round and round the smokers, at each circuit repeating the blow until 
the shoulders of the men are covered with blood. It is incumbent upon 
the sufferers to smoke on in perfect calmness, and not to give the slightest 
intimation that they are aware of the blows which are inflicted on them. 
When the requisite number of circuits have been made, the leader springs 
off his horse, and places the bridle and whip in the hands of the young 
man whom he has selected, saying at the same time, " You are a beggar" ; 



458 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

I present you with a horse ; but you will always carry my mark on your 
back." The rest follow his example. 

Every one is pleased with this remarkable custom. The young men 
are pleased because they get a horse apiece ; and as to the flogging, in the 
first place they really care very little for pain, and in the next place they 
have enjoyed an opportunity of showing publicly their capability of 
endurance. 

Those who give the horses are pleased because they have been able 
to show their liberality, a trait which is held in great estimation by these 
people, and they have also the peculiar satisfaction of flogging a warrior 
with impunity. Both tribes are also pleased, the one because they have 
gained the horses without which they could not have made up their 
forces, and the other because they have shown themselves possessed of 
superior wealth. 

CHIEF OCCUPATION OF INDIANS. 

As already stated, the chief occupations of the Indians are hunting 
and fishing. In the pursuit of game they often encounter deep snows, 
and to overcome this difficulty they are in the habit of wearing snow 
shoes. 

The best form of shoe has the shape of an ordinary fish. Its frame- 
work is made of ashwood, kept in form by two cross-bars, one in front 
and one behind. It is slightly turned up in front. The whole of the 
space within the framework is filled in with a close and strongly-made 
netting of hide thongs, much like those of a racquet — indeed, the French 
Canadians use the word " raquet" to represent the snow shoe. As the 
snow shoe is about five feet in length and eighteen inches or more in 
breadth, it is evident that the weight of the wearer is distributed over a 
large surface, and that a heavy man wearing these shoes can pass 
with impunity over snow in which a child would sink if only supported 
on its feet. 

Just behind the opening is a triangular space crossed by parallel 
thongs. When the shoe is to be worn, the foot is placed on it so that the 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 459 

heel rests on the parallel thongs, and the centre of the foot is supported 
by the thick cross-thong, called the " biinikibison," the toes passing into 
the square opening, which is called the eye of the shoe. In order to 
keep the foot in its place, two leather hoops are attached to the biiniki- 
bison, one of which passes over the instep and the other comes round 
the heel. 

As, therefore, the wearer moves along, the feet play freely on the 
biinikibison, the heels coming down at each step on the parallel thongs, 
while the toes move up and down through the " eye " of the shoe, which 
is dragged over the snow by the instep thong, the heel strap being only 
useful in keeping the foot from slipping out backward. 

GREAT SPEED ON SNOW SHOES. 

After some practice, the wearer is able to skim over the snow with 
astonishing speed, but to a novice the first attempt is not only awkward, 
but causes excruciating pain. The unaccustomed movement of the foot, 
together with the pressure of the instep strap, produces a pain peculiar 
to the snow shoe, called by the Canadians " mal du raquet." Not only 
does blood stain the snow as the excoriated foot drags the heavy shoe 
over the surface, but a pain pervades the whole foot, as if all the little 
bones were dislocated, and rubbing against each other. Perseverance is 
the only cure for the " mal du raquet," and after a few days the wearer is 
able to proceed with perfect comfort. 

The most ingenious part of the snow shoe is the mode by which it 
is fitted to the foot It is evident that if it were fastened firmly to the 
foot, like the sole of a shoe, the wearer would be unable to stir a step. The 
movement of a snow-shoe wearer is somewhat analogous to that of a 
skater, the shoe being slid over the snow, and not raised and depressed 
like shoes in ordinary walking. 

It often happens that heavy snow storms fall before the people are 
able to replace the shoes, which are generally damaged in the course of 
the summer months, and in this case they are obliged to extemporize 
snow shoes out of flat boards. These are shorter and wider than the 



460 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

regular snow shoes, but. are used in much the same manner, the "eye" 
being cut out of the board, and the necessary thongs being fixed across 
the opening. These simple instruments are called by a name which 
signifies "bear's-paw" shoes. Some of the prairie tribes use very long 
and comparatively narrow skates, turned up in front, and precisely 
resembling the "skidor" of Northern Europe. 

On these shoes the native hunters capture the huge moose. They 
select a time when there has been a partial thaw followed by a frost, so 
as to leave a thin crust of ice upon a substratum of soft snow. As the 
moose plunges through the snow, it breaks through this icy crust at 
every step, cutting its legs frightfully with the broken edges, and so falls 
an easy victim. 

Upon the vast plains of North America the so-called wolves prowl 

in numbers. They will follow the hunter for weeks together for the sake 

of the offal of the beasts which he kills. They will not venture to harm 

him, but follow him by day at a distance of half a mile or so, and at 

night, when he lies down to sleep, they will couch also at a respectful 

distance. 

HOW THE LASSO IS USED. 

Both in hunting and warfare the equestrian warriors always carry 
the lasso attached to the saddles of their horses. It is not, however, 
kept coiled, as is the case in Mexico, but is allowed to trail on the ground 
behind their horse. The object of this custom is easily understood. It 
often happens that, whether in the hunt or warfare, the rider is thrown 
from his horse. In such a case, as soon as he touches the ground, he 
seizes the lasso, stops his well trained horse with a jerk, leaps on its 
back, and is at once ready to renew the combat or the chase. 

The mode in which the natives supply themselves with horses 
is worth a brief description. In various parts of the country the horses 
have completely acclimatized themselves, and have run free for many 
years, so that they have lost all traces of domestication, and have become 
as truly wild as the bison and the antelope, assembling in large herds, 
headed by the strongest and swiftest animals. It is from these herds 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 461 

that the natives supply themselves with the horses which of late years 
have become absolutely necessary to them ; and in most cases the animals 
are captured in fair chase after the following manner : 

When an American Indian — say a Camanche — wishes to catch a 
fresh horse, he mounts his best steed, and goes in search of the nearest 
herd. When he has come as near as he can without being discovered, 
he dashes at the herd at full speed, and, singling out one of the horses, 
as it gallops along, hampered by the multitude of its companions, flings 
his lasso over its neck. 

CHOKED AND THROWN DOWN. 

As soon as the noose has firmly settled, the hunter leaps off his own 
steed (which is trained to remain standing on the same spot until it is 
wanted), and allows himself to be dragged along by the affrighted ani- 
mal, which soon falls, in consequence of being choked by the leathern 
cord. 

When the horse has fallen, the hunter comes cautiously up, keeping 
the lasso tight enough to prevent the animal from fairly recovering its 
breath, and loose enough to guard against its entire strangulation, and 
at last is able to place one hand over its eyes and the other on its 
nostrils. 

The animal is now at his mercy. He breathes strongly into its 
nostrils, and from that moment the hitherto wild horse is his slave. In 
order to impress upon the animal the fact of his servitude, he hobbles 
together its fore-feet for a time, and casts a noose over its lower jaw ; but 
within a wonderfully short period he is able to remove the hobbles, and 
to ride the conquered animal into camp. During the time occupied in 
taming the horse, it plunges and struggles in the wildest manner ; but 
after this one struggle it yields the point, and becomes the willing slave 
of its conqueror. 

The rapidity with which this operation is completed is really won- 
derful. An experienced hunter is able to chase, capture, and break a 
wild horse within an hour, and to do his work so effectually that almost 



462 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

before its companions. are out of sight the hitherto wild animal is being 
ridden as if it had been born in servitude. 

The native hunter, cruel master though he generally is, takes 
special care not to damp the spirit of his horse, and prides himself on 
the bounds and curvets which the creature makes when it receives its 
master upon its back. 

There is only one drawback to this mode of hunting. It is impos- 
sible to capture with the lasso the best and swiftest specimens. These 
animals always take command of the herd, and place themselves at its 
head. They seem to assume the responsibility as well as the position of 
leaders, and, as soon as they fear danger, dart off at full speed, knowing 
that the herd will follow them. Consequently, they are often half a mile 
or more in advance of their followers, so that the hunter has no chance 
of overtaking them on a horse impeded by the weight of a rider. 

METHOD OF CAPTURING HORSES. 

A rather strange method of horse taking has been invented since 
the introduction of firearms. This is technically named "creasing," and 
is done in the following manner. Taking his rifle with him, the hunter 
creeps as near the herd as he can, and watches until he fixes on a horse 
that he thinks will suit him. Waiting till the animal is standing with 
its side toward him, he aims carefully at the top of the neck, and fires. 
If the aim be correct, the bullet just grazes the neck, and the horse falls 
as if dead, stunned for the moment by the shock. It recovers within a very 
short time ; but before it has regained its feet the hunter is able to come 
up to the prostrate animal, place his hands over its eyes, breathe into its 
nostrils, and thus to subdue it. 

This is a very effectual mode of horse catching ; but it is not in favor 
with those who want horses for their own riding, because it always breaks 
the spirit of the animal, and deprives it of that fire and animation which 
the native warrior prizes so highly. Indeed, so careful is the Camanche 
of his steed, that he will not mount his favorite war horse except in actual 
warfare, or in the hunt. When he is summoned by his chief, he attends 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 463 

muster, mounted on a second horse, or hack, and leading his war horse 
by the bridle. 

The wild horses of North America are a small and neat-limbed, 
though powerful, breed of animal. Mr. Catliu says that their value has 
been much overrated, as even those which belong to the Camanches, and 
are thought to be equal to the best Arab horses, are on the average worth 
some hundred dollars each. The chiefs have generally one or two horses 
of very superior quality ; but as far as the average goes, the Camanche 
horse is not worth more than the above-mentioned sum. 

The horses that are generally brought into the market are those 
that are obtained by " creasing." Experienced purchasers, however, 
do not care much about such animals. Creasing is, morever, liable to 
two disadvantages. The hunter is equally in danger of missing his 
mark altogether, in which case the jwhole herd dashes off, and gives 
no more chances to the hunter ; or of striking too low, in which case the 
horse is killed on the spot. 

CAN HAVE ANY NUMBER OF WIVES. 

The ordinary social life of these interesting tribes now comes before 
us. A man may have as many wives as he can afford to keep, and when 
he can purchase four or five, their labor in the field is worth even more 
to the household than his exertions in the hunting field. 

Mr. Catlin relates one rather amusing wedding. There was a young 
lad, the son of a chief, whom his father started in life with a handsome 
wigwam, or tent, nine horses, and many other valuable presents. On 
receiving these presents, the young man immediately conceived a plan 
by which he could perform an act which would be unique. He went to 
one of the chiefs, and asked for the hand of his daughter, promising in 
return two horses, a gun, and several pounds of tobacco. The marriage 
was fixed for a certain day, but the transaction was to be kept a profound 
secret until the proper time. Having settled the business, he went to 
three other chiefs, and made exactly the same bargain with each of them, 
and imposed silence equally upon all. 



ANTOI 



464 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

On tlie appointed day, he announced to the tribe that he was to be 
married at a certain hour. The people assembled, but no one knew who 
was to be the bride, while each of the four fathers stood proudly by his 
daughter, inwardly exulting that he alone was in the secret. Presently 
the young bridegroom advanced to the chief to whom he had made the 
first offer, and gave him, according to his promise, the two horses, the 
gun, and the tobacco. The other three fathers immediately sprang for- 
ward, each denouncing the whole affair, and saying that the offer was 
made to his daughter, and to his alone. In the midst of great confusion, 
which was partially quelled by the chiefs and doctors, the young bride- 
groom addressed the assembly, saying that he had promised each of the 
claimants two horses, a gun, and a certain amount of tobacco in exchange 
for his daughter, and that he expected them to fulfil their part of the 
contract. There was no gainsaying the argument, and in the sight of 
the admiring spectators, he delivered the stipulated price into the hands 
of the parents, and led off his four brides, two in each hand, to his 

wigwam. 

GAINED A SEAT IN THE COUNCIL. 

The action was so bold, and so perfectly unique, that the doctors 
immediately determined that a lad of nineteen who could act in this 
manner must have a very strong medicine, and was worthy to be ranked 
among themselves. So they at once installed him a member of their 
mystery, thereby placing him on a level with the greatest of the tribe, 
and by that bold "coup" the lad raised himself from a mere untried warrior 
to the height of native ambition, namely, a seat in the Council and a 
voice in the policy of the tribe. 

Should a child die, before it is old enough to be released from the 
cradle, the mother is not released from her maternal duties, but, on the 
contrary, continues to perform them as assiduously as if the little creature 
were living. 

After the child is buried, she makes a " mourning-cradle," that is, 
in the place which the child had formerly occupied she places a large 
bundle of black feathers, by way of representative of the deceased infant, 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 465 

and treats it in all respects as if tile little one still occupied the cradle. 
She carries it on her back wherever she goes, and when she rests, stands 
it upright against a tree or the side of the hut, and talks to it as if to a 
living child. This custom is continued for at least a year, and in many 
cases is extended even beyond that period. And, though a bereaved 
mother may be so poor as scarcely to have sufficient clothing for herself, 
she will contrive to decorate the cradle of her lost child with the appro- 
priate ornaments. 

As a rule, the North American Indians are affectionate parents. 
Mr. Catlin mentions an instance where he had painted the portrait of a 
married woman, the daughter of a chief. Some time afterward she died, 
and the father, happening to see and recognize the portrait of his lost 
daughter, offered ten horses — an enormous price for an American Indian 
to pay. Of course the portrait was presented to him at once. 

CHILDREN DUTIFUL TO PARENTS. 

Parental affection is fully reciprocated by the children, and the 
greatest respect paid by the younger to the elder men. Yet we find even 
among them, as among so many tribes which lead a semi-nomad exist- 
ence, the custom of abandoning the sick and aged when they are obliged 
to make a forced march of any distance. 

This is generally done at the instance of the victims themselves, 
who say that they are old and useless, and can be only an encumbrance 
to the rest of the tribe. Accordingly, a rude shelter is formed of a hide 
stretched over four upright rods, under which the sick man is laid ; a 
basin of water and some food are placed by his side ; and he is left to 
perish, if not by privation or disease, by the ranging flocks of wolves 
that roam the prairies. 

We will now pass to a more agreeable phase in the life of these 
tribes, and take a glance at their dances and games. 

It has been the prevalent impression that the Indian is tacituru, 
unsocial, and morose. Mr. Catlin, whose testimony cannot be impeached, 
takes considerable pains to correct this opinion ; and states as the result 

30 



466 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

of his travels among the Indian tribes, that " they are a far more talka- 
tive and conversational race than can easily be seen in the civilized 
world. No one can look into the wigwams of these people, or into any 
little momentary group of them, without being at once struck with the 
conviction that small talk, garrulity, story-telling and amusements, are 
leading passions with them." 

To watch their games, and hear their shouts of exultation, in any 
of their villages, to sit down in their lodges and listen to their jokes, 
repartee, anecdote and laughter, would effectually banish this erroneous 
opinion so generally held in regard to the Red Men. With no anxieties 
for the future — no necessities goading them, it is natural that they 
should be a merry people, and most of their life be spent in sports and 

games. 

FOND OF AMUSEMENTS. 

The Indian fondness for amusement is shown in the great variety of 
their dances, most of which are very fanciful and picturesque, though 
some of them have a religious significance. There are the ball-play 
dance, pipe dance, scalp dance (already described), beggar's, bear, and 
dog dances. But the most pleasing of all are the eagle dance, dance of 
the braves, which is peculiarly attractive, and the green corn and snow- 
shoe dances. The latter is exceedingly picturesque. 

Before the first snow-shoe hunt, the Indians always perform a dance 
by way of thanksgiving to the Great Spirit for sending the snow which 
will enable them to live in plenty so long as it lasts. Several spears are 
stuck upright in the snow-covered ground, on one of which are tied a 
pair of snow shoes and on the others sundry sacred feathers and similar 
objects. The dancers, clad in hunting dress and wearing snow shoes, 
go round and round the spears, imitating the while all the movements 
of the chase, and singing a song of thanksgiving. 

Nearly all the tribes, however remote from each other, have a sea- 
son of festivity annually, when the ears of corn are large enough for 
eating. Green corn is regarded a great luxury, and is dealt out with most 
improvident profusion — the festivities lasting eight or ten days. The 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 467 

whole tribe feast and surfeit upon it so long as it lasts, making sacri- 
fices, singing songs of thanksgiving to the Great Spirit, and celebrating 
the green-corn dance. Every occupation is suspended during these fes- 
tivities, and all unite in the carnival of gluttony and merriment. 

Mr. Catlin thus describes this dance : "At the time when the corn 
is thought to be nearly ready for use, several of the old women, who 
have fields or patches of corn (the men disdain such degrading occupa- 
tions as cultivating the field or garden), are appointed by the medicine 
men to examine the cornfields at sunrise every day, and bring to the 
council house several ears of corn, which they must on no account break 
open or look into. When the doctors, from their examination, decide 
that the corn is suitable, they send criers to proclaim to every part of 
the village or tribe that the Great Spirit has been kind, and they must 
meet next day to return thanks to Him. In the midst of the assembled 
tribe, a kettle filled with corn is hung over a fire. While this corn is 
being boiled, four medicine men, each with a stalk of corn in one hand 
and a rattle in the other, their bodies painted with white clay, dance 
around it chanting a thanksgiving to the Great Spirit, to whom the corn 
is to be offered. In a more extended circle around them, a number of 
warriors dance, joining in the same song. During this scene, wooden 
bowls are laid upon the ground, in which the feast is to be dealt out." 

CORN FOR THE FEAST. 

When the doctors decide that the corn is sufficiently boiled, the 
dance assumes a different form, and a new song is sung, the doctors in 
the meantime placing the corn on a scaffold of sticks built over the fire, 
where it is consumed. This fire is then removed, the ashes are all buried, 
and a new fire is originated on the same spot, and in the same way as' 
by the Hottentots. Then corn is boiled for the feast, at which the doc- 
tors and warriors are seated. An unlimited license is given to the whole 
tribe, who mingle excess and amusement until the fields of corn are 
stripped, or it has become too hard for eating. 

The dance of the braves is beautiful and exciting in the highest 



468 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

degree : "At intervals the dancers stop, and one of them steps into the 
ring and vociferates as loudly as possible the feats of bravery which he 
has performed during his life. He boasts of the scalps he has taken, 
and reproduces the motions and actions of the scenes in which his exploits 
were performed. When his boasting is concluded, all assent to the truth 
of his story, and express their approval by the guttural ' waugh ' ! Then 
the dance commences again. At the next interval another makes his 
boast, and so another and another, till all have given a narrative of their 
heroic deeds, and proved their right to be associated with the braves of 
the nation." The dog dance, though a favorite with the Sioux, is not 
an attractive one. 

STRANGE ANTICS OF DOG DANCE. 

The hearts and livers of two or more slain dogs are placed entire 
and uncooked upon two crotches, about as high as a man's head, and 
are cut into strips so as to hang down. The dance then commences, 
which consists in each one proclaiming his exploits in loud, almost deaf- 
ening gutterals and yells. At the same time the dancers, two at a time, 
move up to the stake, and bite off a piece of the heart and swallow it. 
All this is done without losing step or interrupting the harmony of their 
voices. The significance of the dance is that none can share in it but 
the braves who can boast that they have killed their foe in battle and 
swallowed a piece of his heart. None dare to make such a boast unless 
it is actually true. 

Among the Sacs and Foxes there are several singular dances, 
besides some already mentioned, viz : the slave dance (a very curious 
one), dance to the Berdashe, which is an amusing scene, and dance to the 
medicine of the brave. There is a tender and beautiful lesson conveyed 
in this latter dance. A party of warriors are returned victorious from 
battle, we will say, with the scalps they have taken as trophies. Having 
lost one of their party, they appear and dance in front of his wigwam 
fifteen days in succession, about an hour each day, the widow having 
hung his medicine bag on a green bush, which she erects before her 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 469 

door, and under which she sits and cries whilst the warriors dance and 
brandish the scalps they have taken. At the same time they recount the 
heroic exploits of their fallen comrade, to solace the grief of his widow, 
and they throw her presents as they dance before her, that she may be 
kept from poverty and suffering. 

There is little in these dances that resembles the ''light fantastic 
toe" and giddy maze of the dance among the civilized. The former con- 
sist very much of jumps and starts — oftentimes the most grotesque, and 
even violent exertions — united with songs and yells, sometimes deafen- 
ing by their sound or fearful by the wildness and intense excitement 
that are manifested. 

MEANING OF THE SONGS AND DANCES. 

To a looker-on not familiar with the peculiar significance of these 
displays, they seem only a series of uncouth and meaningless motions 
and distortions, accompanied with harsh sounds, all forming a strange, 
almost frightful medley. Yet Mr. Catlin says " every dance has its pecu- 
liar step and every step has its meaning. Every dance has also its 
peculiar song, which is so intricate and mysterious oftentimes, that not 
one in ten of the young men who are singing know the meaning of the 
songs. None but medicine men are allowed to understand them." There 
are dances and songs, however, not so intricate, which are understood 
and participated in by all the tribe. 

The beating of drums, the yells, stamping and bellowing, the noisy 
demonstrations forming so great a part of Indian amusements, will 
remind the reader of similar manifestations among some of the African 
tribes. 

The game which is perhaps the most popular and widely spread is 
almost unintelligible to an uninstructed bystander. Its title is Tchung- 
chee, that being the name of the spear which will be presently described. 
It is played with a ring about three inches in diameter, made of bone or 
wood wrapped with cord, and a slight spear, on which are several little 
projections of leather. The players roll the ring along the ground, and 



470 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

as it is about to fall, project the spear so that, as the ring falls, it may 
receive within it one of the pieces of leather. If it does so, the player 
scores one or more points, according to the particular projection which is 
caught in the ring, and the mode in which it flies. 

Another variation of this game, called Al-kol-lock, has the spear 
without the leather projections, but in their stead six colored beads are 
fixed inside the ring. At each end of the smooth clay course, which is 
about fifty feet in length, a slight barrier is erected. The players bowl 
the ring from one end of the course, run after it, and as it falls after 
striking the barrier, throw their spears as described above, the points 
being reckoned according to the color of the bead which lies on them. 
The absorption of the players in this game is beyond description. They 
will play at it all day, gamble away their horses, their tents, their clothes, 
and, when they have lost all their property, will stake themselves, the 
loser becoming the slave of the winner. 

POPULAR BOWL GAME. 

Another game, called Pagessan, or the bowl game, is very popular, 
though it is a sedentary one, and lacks the graceful action that gives so 
great a charm to the preceding game. It is played with a wooden bowl, 
containing a number of pieces of wood carved into various forms ; some, 
which we may call the pieces, having round pedestals on which to stand, 
and others, which we will term the pawns, being round, and painted on 
one side and plain on the other. The players take the bowl alternately, 
give it a shake, and set it in a hole in the ground. The contents are 
then examined, and the points are scored according to the number of 
pieces which stand on their pedestals. If the pawn has its colored 
side upward, the player scores one point ; if it has the plain side upper- 
most, he deducts a point from his score. The position of the pawns is 
entirely a question of chance, but considerable skill is exerted in getting 
the pieces to stand on their pedestals. 

The game which is most characteristic of the American Indians is 
the celebrated ball game, a modification of which has been intro- 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 471 

duced into England under the name of La Crosse. The principle on 
which it is played is exactly that of football and hockey, namely, the 
driving of a ball through a goal defended by the opposite party. We 
will first take the game as it is played by the Choctaws. 

A ball is carefully made of white willow wood, and ornamented with 
curious designs drawn upon it with a hot iron. The ball-sticks, or rac- 
quets, are much like our own racquets, but with larger and more slender 
handles, and with a very much smaller hoop. Each player carries two 
of these sticks, one in each hand. The dress of the player is very simple, 
being reduced to the waist-cloth, a tail made of white horsehair or quills, 
and a mane of dyed horsehair round the neck. The belt by which the 
tail is sustained may be as highly ornamented as possible, and the 
player may paint himself as brilliantly as he likes, but no other article 
of clothing is allowed, not even moccasins on the feet. 

SPIRITED DANCE BY TORGHLIGHT. 

On the evening of the appointed day, the two parties repair to the 
ground where the goals have already been set up, some two hundred 
yards apart, and there perform the ball-play dance by torchlight. Exactly 
in the middle between the goals, where the ball is to be started, sit four 
old medicine men, singing and beating their drums, while the players 
are clustered round their respective goals, singing at the top of their 
voices and rattling their ball-sticks together. This dance goes on during 
the whole of the night, so that the players are totally deprived of rest — 
a very bad preparation, as one would think, for the severe exertion of 
the ensuing day. All the bets are made on this night, the articles 
staked, such as knives, blankets, guns, cooking utensils, tobacco, and 
even horses and dogs, being placed in the custody of the stakeholders, 
who sit by them and watch them all night. 

About nine o'clock on the next morning the play begins. The 
four medicine men, with the ball in their custody, seat themselves as 
before, midway between the goals, while the players arrange themselves 
for the attack and defence. At a given signal, the ball is flung high in 



472 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

the air, and as it falls, the two opposing sets of players converge upon 

it. As there are often several hundred players on each side, it may be 

imagined that the scene is a most animated one. 

" In these desperate struggles for the ball," writes Mr. Catlin, 

"where hundreds are running together, and leaping actually over each 

other's heads, and darting between their adversaries' legs, tripping, and 

throwing, and foiling each other in every possible manner, and every 

voice raised to its highest key, in shrill yelps and barks, there are rapid 

successions of feats and incidents that astonish and amuse far beyond 

the conception of anyone who has not had the singular good luck to 

witness them. 

DESPERATE STRUGGLES. 

"In these struggles, every -mode is used that can be devised to 
oppose the progress of the foremost, who is likely to get the ball ; and 
these obstructions often meet desperate individual resistances, which ter- 
minates in violent scuffle, and sometimes in fisticuffs. Then their sticks 
are dropped, and the parties are unmolested, whilst they are settling it 
between themselves, except by a general stampede, to which those are 
subject who are down, if the ball happens to pass in their direction. 
Every weapon, by a rule of all ball players, is laid by in the respective 
encampments, and no man is allowed to go for one ; so that the sudden 
broils that take place on the ground are presumed to be as suddenly 
settled without any probability of much personal injury, and no one is 
allowed to interfere in any way with the contentious individuals. 

" There are times when the ball gets to the ground, and such a con- 
fused mass is rushing together around it, and knocking their sticks 
together, without a possibility of any one getting or seeing it for the 
dust that they raise, that the spectator loses his strength, and everything 
but his senses ; when the condensed mass of ball sticks and shins and 
bloody noses is carried around the different parts of the ground, for a 
quarter of an hour at a time, without any one of the masses being able 
to see the ball, which they are often scuffling for several minutes after 
it has been thrown off and played over another part of the ground. 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 473 

" For each time that the ball was passed between the goals of either 
party, one was counted for their game, and they halted for about one 
minute ; when the ball was again started by the judges of the play, and 
a similar struggle ensued ; and so on until the successful party arrived 
at ioo, which was the limit of the play, and accomplished at an hour's 
sun, when they took the stakes." 

In this game the players are not allowed to strike the ball with their 
sticks, or catch it in their hands ; though to do so between the netted 
end of the sticks, and then to run away with it, is a feat which each 
player tries his best to accomplish. Ball-play among the Sioux is 
exactly the same in principle as that of the Choctaws, but the players 
only carry one stick, which is wielded with both hands. 

BALL-PLAY FOR INDIAN WOMEN. 

Sometimes the men are kind enough to indulge the women with a 
ball-play, and to present a quantity of goods as prizes, hanging them 
across a horizontal pole, in order to stimulate the players by the sight. 
Such inferior beings as women are not, however, allowed to use the ball 
and racquet of their superiors, the men, but play with a couple of small 
bags filled with sand, and attached to each other by means of a string 
about eighteen inches in length. Bach of the players is furnished with 
two slight sticks, about two feet in length, and with these sticks they 
dexterously catch the sand bags, and fling them toward the goals. The 
women play with quite as much enthusiasm as the men, and the game 
often assumes the appearace of a general battle rather than of a pastime. 

Since the introduction of horses, the American Indians have become 
very fond of horse racing, and bet so recklessly on the speed of their 
animals that the)' often lose everything which they possess. In these 
races neither the horse nor the rider are allowed to be costumed in any- 
way, not even a saddle or girth being allowed. They also have boat 
races, in which the spectators take as much interest as those who witness 
the Yale and Harvard races. The canoes are mostly propelled by one 
man only. 



474 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

The canoes are of various forms and materials, according to the tribe 
to which they belong. For example, the Mandans have an odd, circular 
vessel, made from a hide, stretched over a wooden framework. This is 
called a "bull boat," and is propelled in a very singular manner. A 
woman is the usual paddler, and she stands or kneels with her face 
toward the direction in which she intends to proceed, and, thrusting the 
paddle into the water as far forward as she can reach, draws it smartly 
toward her, and thus propels the boat with considerable speed. 

On one occasion, Mr. Catlin and two companions were desirous of 
crossing the river, and were packed into one of these bull boats by the 
wife of a chief. She then went into the water, and swam across the river, 
towing the boat after her. As, however, she neared the opposite bank, a 
number of young girls surrounded the canoe, took it into their own 
management, and kept it in mid-stream, until the passengers, utterly 
powerless in such a craft, ransomed themselves with bead necklaces and 
other decorations. Then there is another kind of canoe, which is simply 
a hollow tree trunk, and which is graphically called a " dug out." No 
very particular care is taken about the shaping of this simple boat, which 
is more like a punt than a canoe. 

BEST KIND OF INDIAN CANOE. 

The best and most characteristic form of native canoe is that which 
is made of the bark of the birch tree. The mode of making these canoes 
is briefly as follows. Canoe building is a work in which both sexes take a 
part. The men first select the largest and finest birch trees, with the 
smoothest skins, and strip off large pieces of the bark. The women 
then take charge of the bark, and, while it is still fresh and moist, clean 
and scrape it as if it were leather, and then sew the pieces together, so 
as to make the "cloak" of the future canoe. 

While the women are at this work, the men are busily preparing the 
skeleton of the canoe. This is made of the white cedar, the ribs being cut 
and scraped until they are quite thin and light, and held in their places 
by smaller cross-pieces, and a long thin piece of wood, which runs round 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 475 

the entire edge of the boat, and is, in fact, the chief support of the canoe. 
This is technically called the " maitre." No nails are used, the whole of 
the junctions being effected b}^ means of thongs of bass, obtained from 
the inner bark of the white cedar. 

The skeleton being completed, it is laid upon the cloak, which is 
brought over the ribs, firmly lashed to the "maitre," and then by degrees 
brought into its proper shape. A strengthening piece called a " faux 
maitre," is next tied along the whole of the gunwale in order to protect 
it from injury, and the interior is lined with cedar boards, scarcely thicker 
than pasteboard. When the canoe is finished and dry, the holes through 
which the lashings have passed, as well as all the junctions of the bark, 
are carefully stopped with pitch obtained from the pine or fir-tree, and 
the weaker parts of the bark are also strengthened with a coat of pitch. 

BEAUTIFUL MODEL OF WATER CRAFT. 

The bark canoe of the Chippewas is, unquestionably, the most 
beautiful model of all the water crafts ever invented. It is usually made 
complete from the rind of one birch tree, and so ingeniously formed and 
put together that it is water-tight, and will ride upon the water with 
singular grace and swiftness. These canoes are wonderfully light, as 
indeed is necessary for the navigation of the rivers. The many rapids 
would effectually prevent a boat from passing up the river, were it not 
for the plan called "portage." When the canoe arrives at the foot of a 
rapid, it is taken ashore, the crew land, take all the goods out of the 
canoe, and carry them to the opposite side of the rapid. They then go 
back for the canoe itself, launch it in the smooth water above the rapid, 
and load it, and proceed on their journey. 

These vessels can be propelled with wonderful speed, as they sit on 
the water like ducks, and, when empty, scarcely draw two inches of water. 
The number of paddlers varies according to the size of the boat, but the 
course is regulated by the two who sit respectively in the bow and stern } 
whom we may for convenience call the "bow" and "stroke." It is the 
duty of the "bow" to look carefully ahead for any rocks, or any other 



476 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

obstacles, and, by movements well understood, to indicate their presence 

to the "stroke," who with a sweep of the paddle, brings the canoe round 

in the direction indicated by the "bow." 

The canoes which are used in races are made of birch bark, and are . 

always of a small size — so small, indeed, that a man can easily carry his 

canoe on his head from his house to the water's edge, and then launch it 

without assistance. Mr. Catlin gives a very animated description of a 

canoe race, the competitors being accompanied by large canoes, full of 

their respective friends, who yell encouragements to the antagonists, fire 

guns in the air, and render the scene a singularly exciting one, even to a 

stranger. 

HOW A SAIL IS CONSTRUCTED. 

The man who acts as "bow" stands up in the front of the canoe, 
extends a robe or a blanket in his two hands, and then he presses the 
two other corners at the bottom of the boat with his feet. The robe thus 
becomes an extemporized sail, of which the man is the mast. In this 
manner a cauoe is carried for a considerable distance, to the great relief 
of the paddlers. A white man would instantly upset the fragile canoe 
if he tried to stand erect in it ; but the natives are absolutely perfect 
masters of their little vessels, and seem to move about in them as easily 
and firmly as if on dry land. They will load a canoe within an inch and 
a half of the water's edge, and paddle itfor a whole day, without dreaming of 
danger. And an accomplished canoe man will take a fish spear in his 
hand, place a foot on each gunwale of the boat, and, propelled by a friend 
in the stern of the boat, dart down rapids, spearing fish as he shoots along, 
hawling a struggling fish out of the water, and shaking them into the 
boat behind him. 

Among most Indian tribes, when mourning for the death of rela- 
tives, the women are required to cut their hair entirely off, and the period 
of mourning is until it has grown to its former length. As long tresses 
are so highly valued by most of the tribes this is no small sacrifice. But 
long hair being of much more importance to the men they cut off only 
a lock or two, to indicate grief or affliction for their departed kindred. 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 477 

There is a game already referred to which has in it somewhat of a 
religious aspect. On the border of the Great Pipe-stone Quarry a soli- 
tary rock rises from the plain. It resembles a large pillar, being only a 
few feet in diameter, though more than 30 feet in height. It is situated 
within a short distance from the edge of the precipice, and the Indians 
who come to procure red stone for their pipes often try to leap upon it 
and back again. The mere leap to the rock is comparatively easy, but 
there are two terrible dangers which threaten the leaper. In the first 
place, the small, flat surface of the rock is so polished and smooth, that 
if the leaper should exert too much power, he must slip off, and be killed 
on the sharp rocks below. Should he retain his foot-hold he has still a 
difficult task in regaining the spot whence he sprang, as he can take no 
run, and the slippery surface of the rock affords but a slight fulcrum 
from which he can take his spring. 

A DANGEROUS FEAT. 

Before an Indian essays this terrible leap, he offers up many prayers 
to the Great Spirit for help and protection, and he has at all events the 
satisfaction of knowing that, if he should fail, his body will be buried 
in the sacred ground of the nation. Those who succeed leave an arrow 
sticking in the rock, and have a right to boast of it at every public meet- 
ing when they are called upon to speak. No man would dare to boast 
of this feat without having performed it, as he would at once be chal- 
lenged to visit the Leaping Rock and to point out his arrow. 

Porcupine quills are used very largely for ornaments, and, even 
though they have been partly superseded by beads, are still in use for 
decorating the dresses and utensils of the natives. These quills are 
never so long or thick as those of the porcupine of the Old World, and 
are naturally white or gray, so that they can easily take any desired dye. 
They are first sorted very carefully into their different sizes, the largest 
rarely exceeding three inches in length, while the smaller are quite 
threadlike, and can be passed through the eye of an ordinary needle. 
Both ends are sharp. When the native artist desires to produce a 



478 TEE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

pattern, the design is first drawn on the right side of the bark or 
leather ; the two ends of the quill are then pushed through the 
fabric, and fastened on the wrong side, the quill acting both as needle 
and thread. 

Perhaps the most ingenious mode of making ornaments is that 
which is practiced by the Ojibway women, and called barkbiting. The 
following description of this curious art is given by Mr. Kohl : 

"This is an art which the squaws chiefly practice in spring, in their 
sugar plantations. Still, they do not all understand it, and only a few 
are really talented. I heard that a very celebrated bark-biter resided at 
the other side of St. Mary's River, in Canada, and that another, of the 
name of Angelique Marte, lived in our cataract village. Naturally, I 
set out at once to visit the latter. 

BIRCH HUT OF A PAGAN ARTIST. 

" Extraordinary geniuses must usually be sought here, as in Paris, 
on the fifth floor, or in some remote corner. Our road to Angelique 
Marte led us past the little cluster of houses representing our village 
far into the desert. We came to morasses, and had to leap from stone 
to stone. Between large masses of Spanish granite block, the remains 
of the missiles which the Indians say Menaboju and his father hurled 
at each other in the battle they fought here, we at length found the half- 
decayed birch hut of our pagan artist, who herself was living in it like 
a hermit. 

" When we preferred our request for some specimen of her tooth 
carving, she told us that all her hopes as regarded her art were concen- 
trated in one tooth. At least she had only one in her upper jaw properly 
useful for this operation. She began, however, immediately selecting 
proper pieces of bark, peeling off the thin skin, and doubling up the 
pieces, which she thrust between her teeth. As she took up one piece 
after the other, and went through the operation very rapidly, one artistic 
production after the other fell from her lips. We unfolded the bark, and 
found on one the figure of a young girl, on another a bouquet of flowers, 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 479 

on a third a tomahawk, with all its accessories, very correctly designed, 
as well as several other objects. The bark is not bitten into holes, but 
only pressed with the teeth, so that, when the designs are held up, they 
resemble, to some extent, those pretty porcelain transparencies made as 
light-screens." 

The mode of constructing the wigwam is very much the same 
among the various tribes. Generally it is made of dressed skins sewed 
together and arranged in the form of a tent, with a score or more of poles 
about twenty-five feet in height, as a support, and with an opening at the 
apex for the escape of smoke or the admission of light. The Crows, 
however, excel all others in the style of their lodge. They dress the 
skins almost as white as linen, embellish them with porcupine quills, 
and paint them in various ways so as to make their tents exceedingly 
beautiful and picturesque. The Indian lodges may be removed in a few 
minutes. The taking down and the transportation is the work of the 
squaws. A tribe will generally remove six or eight times in a summer 
in order to find good hunting grounds. 

LITTLE TASTE OR SKILL IN MUSIC. 

The Indian tribes, judging from their musical instruments, have 
little taste or skill in music. These are very rude, and consist of rattles, 
drums, the mystery whistle, war whistle and deer skin flute. The war 
whistle is from six to nine inches in length, made of the bone of the 
deer's or turkey's leg, with porcupine quills wound around it. The chief 
wears this to battle under his dress. It has only two notes — one, pro- 
duced by blowing into one end of it, is shrill, and is the summons to 
battle ; and the other sounds a retreat. Even in the noise of battle and 
amid the cries and yells of their fierce conflicts, this little instrument 
can be distinctly heard. 

The chief pledge of friendship among these tribes, is a dog feast. 
If we consider that the dog is an object of special affection with the 
Indians ; that he is more valued by them than anywhere else on the 
globe ; we can understand the significance of this feast. This sacrifice 



480 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

of what is dearest to them is therefore the very strongest evidence of 
friendship. On their coats of arms, on the rocks, they carve the image of 
the dog, and everywhere and always, he is the emblem of fidelity. Accord- 
ingly, to ratify friendship, to give the most unquestionable proof of 
honor and devotion, the Indian will take his beloved companion of the 
chase and wigwam, and offer it as the sacrifice to hospitality and 
affection. 

These feasts are conducted in the most solemn and impressive 
manner, as if with the conviction that the pledge of friendship is a 
sacred thing. Those were tender words which Catlin gives at the con- 
clusion of an Indian chiefs address to him and other white guests, to 
whom such a feast had been given : "we offer you to-day not the best 
we have got, but we give you our hearts in this feast — we have killed 
our faithful dogs to feed you, and the Great Spirit will seal our friend- 
ship. I have no more to say." 

FONDNESS FOR SWIMMING. 

No people are more fond of swimming than the Indians, the youth 
of both sexes learning the art at a very early age. Such knowledge is 
indispensable to them, especially liable as they are to accidents with 
their light canoes, and in their marches compelled to cross the widest 
rivers. The squaws will fasten their children to their backs, and easily 
cross any river that lies in their way. 

The Indian mode of swimming, however, is quite different from 
ours. They do not make a horizontal stroke outward from the chin, but 
throw the body alternately from one side to the other, and raising one 
arm out of the water, reach as far forward as possible, while the other 
arm having made the same motion, goes down and becomes a propelling 
power. And this, though an apparently awkward, is yet a most effective 
mode of swimming, and less likely to be attended with injury to the 
chest, or with fatigue. 

We come now to consider the customs of the Indians in regard to 
death and the disposal of the dead. 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 481 

The Mandans take the body of the deceased, clothe it in his best 
robes and ornaments, furnish it with food, pipes, tobacco and arrows, 
and wrap it up in skins previously soaked in water, so as to render them 
pliant, and cattse them to exclude the air as much as possible. The 
body is then placed upon a slight scaffold, some seven feet in height, and 
left to decay. In process of time, the scaffold gives way and falls, when 
the relations of the deceased bury the whole of the remains, with the 
exception of the sknll, which they place on the ground, forming circles 
of a hundred or more, all with the faces looking inward, and all resting 
on fresh bnnches of herbs. In the centre of each circle is a little mound, 
on which is planted a long pole, on which hang sundry "medicine" 
articles, which are supposed to aid in guarding the remains of the dead. 

CHERISHNG THE SKULLS OF THE DEAD. 

The relatives constantly visit the skull circles, and the women may 
often be seen sitting by the skulls of their dead children for hours 
together, going on with their work, and talking to the dead skull as if 
it were a living child. And, when tired, they will be down with their 
arms encircling the skull, and sleep there as if in company with the 
child itself. The Sioux and many other tribes lodge their dead in the 
branches or crotches of trees, enveloped in skins, and al\va3 r s with a 
wooden dish hanging near the head of the corpse, for the purpose, 
doubtless, to enable it to quench its thirst on the long journey they 
suppose awaits it after death. The Chinnooks place them in canoes, 
which, together w r ith the warrior's utensils accompanying the dead, are 
so shattered as to be useless. 

The most singular funeral of which a record has been preserved was 
that of Blackboard, an Omaha chief. Upon the bank of the Missouri, 
and in the district over which he ruled, there is a lofty bluff, the top of 
which can be seen for a vast distance on every side. When the chief 
found that he was dying, he ordered that he should be placed on the back 
of his favorite war horse, and buried on the top of the bluff. 

The request was carried out to the letter. On the appointed day, the 

31 



482 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

whole tribe, together with a vast concourse of spectators, repaired to the 

bluff, leaving an open space in the middle, where the chief was to be 

buried. 

Presently, the body of the dead chief was borne up the sides of the 

bluff, and after him was led his war horse, a noble milk-white steed which 

he had valued exceedingly. When the funeral procession reached the 

top of the bluff, the dead chief was clothed in full panoply of war, the 

feather plumes on his head, the strung bow, quiver, arrows, shield, and 

medicine bag slung on his back, his scalps, which no other man might 

take, hung to his horse's bridle and to his weapons, and his favorite spear 

in his hand. He was also furnished with food and drink, to sustain him 

in his passage to the spirit land, and with his pipe and filled tobacco 

pouch, flint, and steel, so that he might solace himself with the luxury 

of smoking. 

SPEECHES TO A DEAD LEADER. 

This done, he was mounted on the back of his horse, and all the 
chiefs advanced in their turn to make their farewell speeches to their 
dead leader. Each, after delivering his address, rubbed his right hand 
with vermilion, pressed it against the white coat of the horse, and left 
there the scarlet imprint of his hand. Then began the burial. The 
warriors brought in their hands pieces of turf, and with them began to 
raise a huge mound, in the middle of which the chief and his horse were 
to be enclosed. One by one they placed their turves around the feet of 
the devoted horse, and so, by degrees, they built the mound over the 
animal while yet alive. 

The mound, when completed, rose high above the head of the cnief 
thus strangely buried in its centre, and there he and his horse were left 
to decay together. On the top of the mound a cedar post was erected ; 
and this mound has been, ever since it was built, a familiar landmark to 
all the surrounding country. This green, flower-spotted mound is visited 
by great numbers of travelers, both white and red. The former ascend 
the bluff partly out of curiosity to see so strange a tomb, and partly for 
the sake of the magnificent view from its summit, while the latter visit 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 483 

it for the sake of paying their respects at the burial-place of one of their 
most renowned chiefs and greatest medicine men. 

The custom of burying wives and other victims with the deceased 
husband seems now to be extinct among the North American tribes, but 
such an event has happend within comparatively late years. There was a 
Nachez chief, called the Stung Serpent, who died ; and as he was the head 
chief of the tribe, a considerable number of victims were devoted for 
sacrifice. The French, however, remonstrated, and induced the friends 
of the dead chief to limit the number to eight or ten. Among them was 
a beautiful girl, who, though not his wife, had loved him greatly, and 
desired to share his grave. 

VICTIMS LED IN PROCESSION. 

On the day appointed a procession was formed, in which the victims 
were led in great state, accompanied by eight relatives of the deceased, 
who were to act as executioners, and who bore the fatal cord, the deer 
skin which was thrown over the head of the victim, the tobacco pills which 
were to be taken before the ceremony, and the other implements required. 
When they were all placed at the grave, the chief's wife made a speech, in 
which she took leave of her children ; and the victims after being strangled 
were deposited in the grave. 

As the object of this work is to present the manners and customs of 
tribes and races in their primitive state, and not those semi-civilized, it will 
be enough to merely introduce the names of the Cherokees, Choctaws, 
Creeks, Chickasaws, Senecas, Delawares, etc. Nor is it necessary to 
consider those, now extinct, that occupied the country when first settled 
by white men. For the same general characteristics, now presented, per- 
tain to all the North American races. The Indian tribes are rapidly 
retreating or vanishing before the steady, irresistible march of civilization, 
and the growing grandeur of our great Republic. The line, where the 
echoes of the Indian's yell blends with the shout of advancing pioneers 
and the sound of the wood-chopper's axe, is continually moving westward. 

In a few years we have seen it pass from the Mississippi River, to 



184 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

the base of the Rocky Mountains. The settler's cabin is unceasingly 
encroaching upon the wigwams of the Red Men. With sadness, having 
smoothed the graves of their fathers, and taking a last look of their 
hunting grounds, they retreat before a power which they vainly strive to 
resist. Pressed backward in two centuries and a half, across three-quarters 
of the continent, from Massachusetts Bay almost to the Pacific, except a 
few decaying remnants of tribes, their history and doom cannot but 
awaken sympathy for an unfortunate and overpowered race. 

HIS NOBLE CHARACTER. 

Even though we do not form our estimate of the Indian from the 
romantic creations of Cooper, every right-thinking person will accord 
them the tribute of many qualities that constitute a real grandeur of 
character. Their marvelous bravery, their ardent rage, their steadfast, 
fiery enthusiasm in the fight or in the chase, their manly sports, their 
grave, philosophic demeanor in the council, their stern, stoical endurance 
in misfortune, their disdain of death, are traits that have given to the 
Indian a character unique and noble, a character and history that the 
annalist, poet, and novelist, have transferred to their immortal pages, 
and over which multitudes of old and young alike have bentwith eager, 
breathless interest. 

As Mr. Mangin in his " Desert World" says : — "There was poetry 
in their faith, in their customs, in their language, at once laconic and pic- 
turesque — and even in the names they bestowed on each tribe, each chief 
and warrior, on mountain and river. One can hardly suppress a feeling of 
regret that so much of wild romance and valor should have been swept 
from the face of the earth, unless we call to mind the shadow of the 
picture — the Indian's cruelty, perfidiousness and savage lust. Even then, 
our humanity revolts from the treatment to which he has been subjected 
by the white man." Tracked and hunted like wild beasts, driven from 
their hunting grounds and the territory of their ancestors, imbruted by 
drink, decimated and dying by epidemics and vices contracted from white 
men, the poor Indians vainly struggling to avert their doom of extermina- 



THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 485 

tiou have elicited the sympathy aud conmiise ration of the civilized world. 
These tribes, contending in a most unequal strife with the forces of 
modern civilization, more readily falling victims to the vices of white 
men than accepting their virtues, are entitled to the just consideration 
and protection of the government, as its wards, from whom, or their 
ancestors, have been taken their soil or their homes. 

BETTER TREATMENT FOR THE INDIANS. 

It is gratifying to know that a more humane policy is being inau- 
gurated, and though the wrongs of the past may not be redressed, that 
their rights in future may be recognized and maintained. Major-General 
Thomas of the United States army, whose name and history are the 
guarantee of candid and wise judgment, says, in respect to an instance 
of cold-blooded, unprovoked, unpunished outrage upon an Indian boy (it is 
given only as a representative fact of many more and bitter wrongs) : "I 
see no better way than to extend civil authority over the Indians and 
enable them to appear as witnesses in all cases affecting their own status 
and that of the whites toward them. This is a fair instance of the cause 
of the Indian troubles ; and until white murderers and robbers of the 
Indians are punished, a large force of troops will be necessary to protect 
peaceful white settlers from Indian avengers." And General Sherman, 
in whose opinion the utmost confidence can be reposed, made the follow- 
ing indorsement to General Thomas' view: "This case illustrates the 
origin of most of the Indian wars on the frontier. A citizen may murder 
an Indian with impunity, but if the Indian retaliate, war results, and the 
United States must bear the expense." 

Here we have the secret of many of the barbarities of the Indian 
tribes. Inflamed and imbruted by the whiskey sold them, their ignorance 
imposed upon by the greed of traders and even government agents, hav- 
ing little or no chance for securing justice in their real or imagined 
injuries, there is certainly some extenuation if this wild son of the forest 
go forth with tomahawk and scalping knife, as the self-appointed avenger 
of his own and his people's wrongs. 



486 THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

This is not the place, if there were room, for a thorough discussion 
of the wrongs of the Red Men, but I cannot forego the duty, in treating 
of the manners, customs and character of tribes so interesting, so noble 
and superior, by many traits, to most savage races, of recording at th'e 
same time, this tribute and testimony. It will unquestionably be the 
verdict of the future, as coming generations shall study the memorials 
and character of the North American Indians. 



THE ESQUIMAUX, 

THEIR APPEARANCE, CUSTOMS, DRESS, DWELLINGS. 

HUNTING, ETC. 



WE now come to those extraordinary people, called by Europeans 
the Esquimaux (their own name being Innuit), who, placed 
amid perpetual ice and snow, have bent those elements to their 
own purposes, and pass as happy lives in their inclement country as do 
the apparently more favored inhabitants of the tropics amid their per- 
petual verdure. Indeed, the Esquimau has a perfect yearning for his 
beloved country, should he be away from it. Captain Hall relates the 
circumstances attendant upon the "death of Kudlago, a singulary in- 
telligent man, who had visited the United States, and fully learned to 
appreciate the advantages of the high civilization which he saw there. 
But all his wishes were for home, and he was taken back. As the 
ship neared his native land, he fell ill and died, his last words being the 
eager inquiry, 'Do you see ice ? Do you see ice ? ' " 

In appearance, the Esquimaux are a peculiar people. Their stature 
is short, when compared to that of an ordinary European, the average 
being about five feet three inches for the men, and two or three inches 
less for the women. 

The complexion is in some cases rather dark, but, as a rule, is not 
much darker than that of the inhabitants of Southern Europe. It 
looks, however, many shades darker, in consequence of the habits of 
the Esquimaux, who never wash from their birth to their death. It is 
not that they neglect their ablutions, but the very idea of washing 
never enters the mind of an Esquimau, who, unless he has met with 
white men, has not even heard of such an operation. When, however, 
an Esquimau has been induced to allow his skin to be cleansed, he is 

found to lose many shades of his original darkness. There is an 

487 



488 THE ESQUIMAUX. 

amusing passage in the journal of Captain Hall, given in his " Life 
with the Esquimaux." 

" Kimnaloo has just been Americanized. Captain B 's good 

wife had made and sent to her a pretty red dress, a necktie, mittens, 
belt, etc. 

" Mr. Rogers and I, at a suggestion from me, thought it best to 
commence the change of nationality with soap and water.. The process 
was slow, that of arriving at the beautiful little girl, whom we 
at length found, though deeply imbedded layer after layer in 'dirt. Then 
came the task of making her toilet. With a very coarse comb I com- 
menced to disentangle her hair. She had but little, the back part from 
behind her ears having been cut short off on account of severe pains in 
her head. How patiently she submitted to the worse than curry-comb 
process I had to use ! This was the first time in her life that a comb 
had been put to her head. Her hair was filled with moss, seal and 
reindeer hairs, and many other things, too numerous to call them all by 
name. Poor little thing ! Yet she was fat and beautiful, the very 
picture of health. Her cheeks were as red as the blown rose ; Nature's 
vermilion was upon them." 

DIET OF OIL AND FAT. 

The skin is smooth, soft, and yet wonderfully tough, with a sort of 
unctuous surface, probably occasioned by the enormous amount of oil 
and fat which forms the principal part of their diet. The features are 
not very pleasing, the face being broad, and the cheek-bones so high that 
in many cases, if aflat ruler wer^ laid from cheek to cheek, it would not 
touch the nose. iVs is the case with the Chinese section of this vast race, 
the eyes slope rather downward, and the face is often covered with wrinkles 
to a wonderful extent, extending from the eyes down each cheek. 

In bodily strength, the Esquimaux present a great contrast to the 
Andamaners, of Bengal Bay, India, who, though short, are possessed of 
gigantic muscular powers. Captain Lyon found that the natives could 
not raise burdens that were easily lifted by his sailors, whereas an 



THE ESQUIMAUX. 4S!) 

ordinary Andamaner is often a match for two powerful sailors. The 
neck is strangely thin and feeble, however well-proportioned the chest may 
be, and it is a curious fact that the Esquimaux are almost wholly igno- 
rant of running and jumping. There is but little beard, and the hair 
is black, coarse, straight, and lanky. 

The general character of the dress is alike in both sexes, so that at 
a little distance it is not easy to tell whether the spectator be looking at 
a man or a woman, both sexes wearing trousers, and jackets with a large 
hood, which can either be drawn over the head or allowed to fall on the 
shoulders. The jacket of the man is made something like a broad- 
tailed dress coat, hanging behind as far as the middle of the calf, and cut 
away in front just below the waist. It is mostly made of deer-hide, 
and the hood is lined and turned up with white fur, which forms a 
curious contrast to the dark, broad face within it. The edge of the coat 
is generally bordered with a lighter-colored fur, and is often decorated with 
little strips of fur hanging like tassels. 

COAT OF LIGHTER MATERIAL. 

Under this coat is another of similar shape, but of lighter material, 
and having the furry side turned inward. The legs are clothed in two 
pairs of trousers, the outer pair being often made of strips of differently 
colored deer-skins arranged in parallel stripes, and having the fur 
outward, while the other has the fur inward, as is the case with the coats. 
They only come as low as the knee, so that the joint is often frost-bitten ; 
but nothing can induce the Esquimaux to outrage fashion by adding a 
couple of inches to the garment. 

The boots are made of the same materials as the other parts of the 
dress. In winter time the Esquimaux wear first a pair of boots with 
the fur inward, then slippers of soft seal-skin so prepared as to be 
water-proof, then another pair of boots, and, lastly, strong seal-skin 
shoes. In the summer time one pair of boots is sufficient protection. 
The soles are made of thicker material than the rest of the garment, 
and it is the duty of the women to keep the soles flexible by chewing or 



490 THE ESQUIMAUX. 

" milling " them, an operation which consumes a considerable part of 
their time. 

Mittens are made of various skins, the hairy side being inward 
and if the wearer be engaged in fishing, he uses mittens made of water- 
tight seal-skin. During the summer, light dresses are worn, made of 
the skins of ducks, with the feathers inward. Over all there is sometimes 
a very thin and light waterproof garment made of the intestines of the 

walrus. 

JACKETS WORN BY WOMEN. 

The jackets worn by the women have a much longer and narrower 
tail than those of the men, and a tolerably deep flap in front. The 
hood is of enormous size, being used as a cradle as well as a hood, in 
which a child of nearly three years old is carried. The trousers, or 
rather leggings, are tied to a girdle that passes round the waist, and are 
so cut away at the top, that they allow a portion of the skin to be visible 
between them and the sides of the jacket, an exposure from which the 
wearers do not seem to suffer. The oddest article of the female apparel 
is, however, the boots, which more resemble sacks or buckets than boots, 
and are simply tied to the girdle by a broad strap that passes up the 
front of the leg. The boots are used as receptacles for all kinds of 
portable property, food included, and in consequence impart a most 
singular walk, or rather waddle, to the wearers, who are obliged to 
keep their feet widely apart, and, as they walk, to swing one foot round 
the other, rather than to use the ordinary mode of walking. 

The Esquimau women use the tattoo, called by them the kakeen, 
and in some places cover their limbs and a considerable portion of their 
persons with various patterns. There are some who mark the forehead, 
cheeks and chin, these being mostly proof that the woman is married, 
though they are sometimes worn by unmarried females. The mode in 
which the kakeen is performed is amusingly told by Captain Lyon, who 
courageously submitted to the operation. 

" My curiosity determined me on seeing how the kakeen was per- 
formed, and I accordingly put myself into the hands of Mrs. Kettle ? 



THE ESQUIMAUX. 491 

whom I had adopted as my amama, or mother. Having furnished her 
with a fine needle, she tore with her teeth a thread off a deer's sinew, 
and thus prepared the sewing apparatus. She then, without a possi- 
bility of darkening her hands beyond their standard color, passed her 
fingers under the bottom of the stove pot, from whence she collected a 
quantity of soot. With this, together with a little oil and much saliva, 
she soon made a good mixture, and taking a small piece of whalebone 
well blackened, she then drew a variety of figures about my arm, differ- 
ing, as I easily saw, from those with which she herself was marked ; 
and, calling her housemates, they all enjoyed a good laugh at the 
figures, which perhaps conveyed some meaning that I could not fathom. 

HOW TATTOOING IS DONE. 

"I had, however, only determined on a few strokes, so that her 
trouble was in some measure thrown away. She commenced her work 
by blackening the thread with soot, and taking a pretty deep but short 
stitch in my skin, carefully pressing her thumb on the wound as the 
thread passed through it, and beginning each stitch at the place where 
the last had ceased. My flesh being tough, she got on but slowly, and, 
having broken one needle in trying to force it through, I thought fit, 
when she had completed forty stitches, or about two inches, to allow her 
to desist ; then, rubbing the part with oil in order to stanch the little 
blood which appeared, she finished the operation. I could now form an 
idea of the price paid by the Esquimau females for their embel- 
lishments, which for a time occasion a slight inflammation and some 
degree of pain. The color which the kakeen assumes when the skin 
heals is of the same light blue as we see on the marked arms of seamen." 

The dress of the-children is alike in both sexes. None at all is worn 
until the infant is nearly three years old, up to which age it is kept 
naked in its mother's hood. A dress is then made of fawn skin, having 
the jacket, trousers, boots, and hood in one piece, the only opening being 
at the back. Into this odd dress the child is put, and the opening being- 
tied up with a string, the operation of dressing is completed. The hood 



492 THE ESQUIMAUX. 

or cap is generally made in the shape of the fawn's head, so that the 
little Esquimau has the strangest appearance imaginable, and scarcely 
looks like a human being. 

As to the hair, the men cut it short over the forehead, and allow the 
side locks to grow to their full length, tying them, when very long, over 
the top of the head in a large knot projecting over the forehead. The 
women part the hair in the middle, and make it into two large tails. A 
piece of bone or wood is introduced into each of the tails by way of a 
stiffener, and they are then bound spirally with a narrow strip of deer- 
hide, with the fur outward. Those women who can afford such a luxury 
pass the hair through two brass rings, which are then pressed as closely 
as possible to the head. 

PREPARING MATERIAL FOR CLOTHES. 

The whole of the operations of preparing the skin and making the 
clothes are done by the women, the men having completed their task 
when they have killed the animals. The fat, blood, and oil are first 
sucked from the skins, and the women then scrape the inner surface 
with an ingenious instrument, sometimes furnished with teeth, and at 
other times plain, like blunt knives. The skins are then rubbed and 
kneaded, and are dried by being stretched by pegs to the ground in 
summer, and laced over a hoop in winter and exposed to the heat of the 
lamp, which constitutes the only fire of the Esquimaux. 

Bird skins are prepared in a somewhat similar fashion, and are 
stripped from the bodies of the birds in a marvelously expeditious 
manner* With their knife, which exactly resembles a cheese cutter, 
they make an incision round the head and round the outer joint of each 
wing. The cut part is then seized between the teeth, and with a pull 
and a jerk the skin comes off in one piece, and turned inside out. These 
skins are considered a great luxury by the Esquimaux, who bite and 
suck off the fat which adheres liberally to them. 

In a couutry where the thermometer remains many degrees below 
zero for many months together, and in which ice and snow are the pre. 



THE ESQUIMAUX. 493 

vailing features, it is evident that houses cannot be built after the 
fashion of those in most countries. No trees can grow there, so that 
wooden houses are out of the question, and in a land where ice 
has been known to choke up the iron flues of a stove always kept burn- 
ing neither clay could be made into bricks, nor stones cemented with 
mortar. There is only one substance of which houses can be made, and 
this is frozen water, either in the form of snow or ice, the former being 
the usual material. These snow houses, called igloos, are made in a 
dome-like shape, and are built with a rapidity that is perfectly aston- 
ishing. 

STRANGE ESQUIMAU HOUSES. 

The general appearance of these strange houses is thus described 
by Captain Lyon, in his "Private Journal." "Our astonishment was 
unbounded, when, after creeping through some long passages of snow, 
to enter the different dwellings, we found ourselves in a cluster of dome- 
shaped edifices, entirely constructed of snow, which, from their recent 
erection, had not been sullied by the smoke of the numerous lamps that 
were burning, but admitted the light in most delicate hues of verdigris 
green and blue, according to the thickness of the slab through which it 
passed. There were five clusters of huts, some having one, some two, 
and others three domes, in which thirteen families lived, each occupying 
a dome or one side of it, according to their strength. The whole number 
of people were twenty-one men, twenty-five women, and eighteen children, 
making a total of sixty-four. 

" The entrance to the building was by a hole about a yard in diameter, 
which led through a low arched passage of sufficient breadth for two to 
pass in a stooping posture, and about sixteen feet in length ; another 
hole theu presented itself, and led throughh a similarly shaped but 
shorter passage, having at its termination a round opening about two 
feet across. Up this hole we crept one step, and found ourselves in a 
dome about seven feet in height, and as many in diameter, from whence 
the three dwelling-places with arched roofs were entered. It must be 
observed that this is the description of a large hut ; but the smaller 



494 THE ESQUIMAUX. 

ones, containing one or two families, have the domes somewhat differ- 
ently arranged. 

" Each dwelling might be averaged at fourteen or sixteen feet in 
diameter, by six or seven in height ; but as snow alone was used in their 
construction, and was always at hand, it might be supposed that 
there was no particular size, that being of course at the option of 
the builder. The laying of the arch was performed in such a manner 
as would have satisfied the most regular artist, the key piece on the top 
being a large square slab. The blocks of snow used in the buildings were 
four to six inches in thickness, and about a couple of feet in length, 
carefully pared with a large knife. Where two families occupied a dome, 
a seat was raised on either side two feet in height. These raised places 
were used as beds, and covered, in the first place, with whalebone, 
sprigs of Andromeda, or pieces of seal-skin ; over these were spread deer- 
pelts and deer-skin clothes, which had a very warm appearance. The 
pelts were used as blankets, and many of them had ornamental fringes 
of leather sewed round their edges. 

CURIOUS WAY OF GETTING LIGHT. 

" Each dwelling-place was illuminated by a broad piece of trans- 
parent fresh-water ice, of about two feet in diameter, which formed part 
of the roof, and was placed over the door. These windows gave a most 
pleasing light, free from glare, and something like that which is thrown 
through ground glass. We soon learned that the building of a house 
was but the work of an hour or two, and that a couple of men — one to 
cut the slabs and another to lay them — were sufficient laborers. 

" For the support of the lamps and cooking apparatus a mound of 
snow is erected for each family ; and when the master has two wives or 
a mother, both have an independent place, one at each end of the bench." 

In the middle of the hut is erected a slight scaffold, which supports 
a rudely made net, and under the net is placed the one essential piece of 
furniture of the house, namely the lamp. This is a very simple con- 
trivance. It is merely an oval shaped dish of stone, round the edge of which 



THE ESQUIMAUX. 405 

is arranged a long wick made of moss. Oil is poured into it, and a quantity 
of blubber is heaped in the centre of the lamp, so as to keep up the 
supply. Over the lamp is hung the cooking pot, the size of each being 
proportioned to the rank of the possessor. It sometimes happens that 
two wives occupy the same hut. In this case, the chief or "igloo-wife" 
has the large lamp and the supporting scaffold, while the other has to 
content herself with a little lamp and a small pot, which she must 
support as she can. 

The value of the lamp is simply incalculable, not so much for its 
use in cooking, as the Esquimaux like meat raw quite as well as cooked, 
but for its supply of warmth, for the water which is obtained by melting 
snow over it, and for its use in drying clothes. All garments, the snow 
being first beaten off them, are placed on the " drynet " over the lamp, 
where they are gradually dried, and, after being chewed by the women, 
are fit for wear again ; otherwise they become frozen quite hard, and are 
of no more use than if they were made of ice. Oil is supplied by chew- 
ing blubber, and the women, who always perform the task, have the 
curious knack of expressing the oil without allowing a drop of moisture 
to mix with it. In one minute a woman can obtain enough oil to fill 
a lamp two feet in length. 

A HOUSE MADE OF ICE. 

Sometimes, when snow is scarce, the igloo is made of ice. The 
walls are formed of this material, and are generally of an octagonal form, 
the ice slabs being cemented together with snow. The domed roof is 
usually made of snow, but the tunnel, or passage to the interior, is of ice. 
Such a house is, when first made, so transparent that, even at the dis- 
tance of some paces, those who are within it can be recognized through 
its walls. 

It may seem strange that such materials as snow and ice should be 
employed in the construction of man's dwelling-place, as nothing seems 
more opposed to comfort ; yet these houses, instead of being cold, are so 
warm that the inhabitants throw off the greater part, and sometimes the 



496 THE ESQUIMAUX. 

whole, of their clothes when within them ; and the bed of snow on which 
they recline is, when covered with the proper amount of skins, even 
warmer than an European feather bed. In the summer time the Esqui- 
maux prefer the skin hut, or " tupic." This is a mere tent made of deer- 
skins thrown over a few sticks, though the supports are sometimes formed 
from the bones of whales. 

The food of the Esquimaux is almost wholly of an animal character. 
In the first place, the country supplies scarcely any vegetation ; and, in 
the next place, an abundant supply of animal food is required in order 
to enable the inhabitants to withstand the intense cold. The seal and 
the reindeer form their favorite food, and in both cases the fat is the 
part that is most highly valued. 

In the reindeer, the fat of the hinder-quarters, called by the Esqui- 
maux "toodnoo," is the portion that is most valued. Captain Hall, who 
very wisely lived as the Esquismaux while staying with them, says that 
it is as much superior to butter as is the best butter to lard ; and when 
the deer is in good condition, the meat is so tender that a steak almost 
falls to pieces if lifted by its edge. Another part of the reindeer is almost as 
valuable as the fat. This is the contents of the deer's paunch, eaten 
raw with slices of raw venison. It has a slightly acid flavor, like that 
of sorrel, and if the consumer were not to know what he was eating, 
he would be delighted with it. 

AN EXCELLENT DEER FEAST. 

This was the case with Captain Hall, while partaking of a deer 
feast in an igloo. He tried the deer flesh, and found it excellent ; he 
then took a morsel of the unknown substance, and describes it as ambro- 
sial. After eating the greater part of it, he took it to the light, and was 
horrified to find the nature of the feast. However, he soon came to the 
wise conclusion that epicurism of any kind was nothing but the effect 
of education, and that, in consequence, he would ignore his previous 
prejudices on the subject, and eat whatever the Esquimaux ate, and as 
they ate it. As to the quantity consumed, neither he nor any other white 



THE ESQUIMAUX. 497 

man would be a match for an Esquimau, who will consume nine or ten 
pounds of meat at a sitting, and lie leisurely on his back, being fed by 
his wife with pieces of blubber when he is utterly unable to help him- 
self. An Esquimau finds a sort of intoxicating effect in utter repletion, 
which stands him in the stead of fermented liquors. 

Putting aside the gourmandizing propensity of the Esquimaux, 
Captain Hall found that if he were to live with them, as he intended to 
do, he must sooner or later come to the same diet. He determined in 
making a bold plunge, and eating whatever he saw them eat. At first 
it was rather repugnant to his feelings to eat a piece of raw meat that 
had been carefully licked by a woman, in order to free it from hairs 
and other extraneous matters. But he reflected that, if he had not 
known of the licking he would not have discovered it from the flavor of 
the meat, and he very wisely ignored the mode in which it had been 
cleaned. Similarly fresh seal's blood just drawn from the animal seemed 
rather a strange kind of soup, and the still warm entrails a remarkable 
sort of after-dinner delicacy. But finding that the Esquimaux considered 
them both as very great dainties, he tried them, and pronounced that the 
Esquimaux were perfectly right, and that his preconceived ideas were 

entirely wrong. 

EXPERT HUNTERS. 

Depending wholly upon the products of the chase for their food, the 
Esquimaux are most accomplished hunters, and in their peculiar way 
are simply unequaled by any other people on earth. Take, for example, 
their mode of seal catching. The reader is doubtless aware that the seal, 
being a mammal, breathes atmospheric air, and that in consequence it 
cannot remain very long under water, but is obliged to come up at certain 
intervals for the purpose of breathing. When it dives under the ice, it 
would therefore be drowned did it not form for itself certain breathing 
holes in the ice. These are very small, not more than an inch and a half, 
or at the most two inches, in diameter, and do not penetrate through the 
coating of snow that lies on the ice. 

The hunter's dog, which is specially trained for this purpose, detects 

32 



498 THE ESQUIMAUX. 

the breathing hole, and the master then reverses his harpoon, which has" 
a long, spindle-shaped butt, and thrusts it through the snow in search 
of the concealed hole, which often lies under some two feet of snow. 
When he has found it, he seats himself by the hole, with his harpoon 
ready ; and there he will sit until he hears the blowing sound of the seal, 
when he drives the harpoon into the hole, and invariably secures his prey. 
This is the more difficult, as, if the stroke be wrong by even a quarter of 
an inch, the seal will not be struck, and the man is often wearied with 
waiting and need of sleep. 

WATCHING A SEAL HOLE. 

The patience with which the Esquimau hunter will watch a seal 
hole far surpasses that of a cat at a mouse hole. Captain Hall mentions 
one case, where an Esquimau, a notable seal hunter, actually sat watch- 
ing a seal hole for two and a half days and two nights without either 
sleep or food. Considering the nature of the climate, such a feat as this 
is almost 'incredible. The poor man, after all his trouble, failed to secure 
the seal, but was not disheartened, and, after taking some food, went off 
again to the seal hole to renew his watch. 

Some of the Esquimau seal hunters use a singularly ingenious 
instrument for enabling them to detect the approach of the animal. It 
consists of a very slender ivory rod, about twelve inches in length, 
pointed at oue end, and having a round knob at the other. It is about as 
thick as a crow quill. When the hunter has found a seal hole, he ties 
to the upper end a very fine thread made of sinew, and lowers it into the 
seal hole, where it is allowed to dangle by the thread. When the seal 
comes to breathe, it takes no notice of so small an object, but rises as 
usual for air, pushing the little rod before it. As soon as the hunter 
sees the rod rise, he knows that the seal is there, and drives his spear 
down the hole. Even a larger float — if we may so call it — might 
be unseen by the seal, but it would interfere with the passage of 
the spear. 

There is another mode of catching seals, in which the young acts 



THE ESQUIMAUX. 499 

as a decoy for its mother. The seal, when she is about to produce her 
young, scratches away the ice until she conies to the snow, which lies 
deep upon it. She then scratches away a quantity of the snow until she 
has made a dome-like chamber, in form exactly like the snow hut of the 
Esquimaux. The tunnel through the ice is just large enough to allow 
the passage of the seal, while the chamber is about five feet in diameter, 
so that a tolerably large platform of ice is left, on which the creature 
can rest. Here its young is produced, and here it remains until the sun 
melts away the snow covering of the chamber, or igloo, as it is called, by 
which time the young animal is able to take care of itself. 

HOW THE YOUNG SEAL IS CAUGHT. 

At the proper season, the Esquimaux set off in search of these 
seal igloos, and when they are detected by the dogs, the hunter flings 
himself on the snow, thus beating down the roof of the igloo. He then 
thrusts his sealing hook into the igloo, and drags out the young seal. 
It is remarkable, by the way, that the polar bear acts in precisely the 
same manner, crushing down the walls of the igloo, and dragging out 
the young one with its paws. 

When the Esquimau has secured the young seal, he ties a long 
line to one of the hind flippers, and allows it to slip into the sea through 
the tunnel, while he creeps into the igloo with his hook, in hopes of 
catching the mother as she comes to help her young one. The 
Esquimaux always kill young seals by putting the foot on their 
shoulders, and pressing firmly down, so as to suffocate it. This is done 
for the purpose of preserving the blood. 

Sometimes the seal hunter actually stalks the wary animal on the 
ice. The seal has a strange way of sleeping when lying on the ice. It 
takes short naps of only a few seconds' duration, and between them 
raises its head and looks round to see if an)' enemy be approaching. 
The Esquimau takes advantage of this habit, and, lying down on the 
ice, he waits for these short naps, and hitches himself along the ice 
toward the aniinal, looking himself very much like a seal as he lies on 



500 THE ESQUIMAUX. 

the ice, covered with seal skin garments. Whenever the seal raises its 

head, the hunter stops, begins to paw with his hands, and titters a curious 

droning monologue, which is called " seal talk," and is supposed to act 

as a charm. Certain it is, that the seal appears to be quite gratified by 

the talk, is put off its guard, and allows the hunter to approach near 

enough to make the fatal stroke. 

The same kind of " talk" is used when the sealer goes out in his 

boat, and some of the hunters are celebrated for the magical power of 

their song. In seal hunting from a boat, a different kind of harpoon is 

employed. It is longer and slighter than that which is used for ice 

hunting, and is furnished with a float made of a leathern bag inflated 

with air. This is fastened to the shaft, and just below it one end of the 

harpoon line is secured, the other end being made fast to the head of the 

weapon. 

STRUCK BY A HARPOON. 

When the seal is struck, the shaft is shaken from the head, so that 
there is no danger of its working the weapon out of the seal by its lever- 
age, and it acts as a drag, impeding the movements of the animal, so 
that the hunter is able to overtake it in his boat and to pierce it with 
another harpoon. When the seal is dead, the float serves another pur- 
pose. Seals, when killed in the water, almost invariably sink so rapidly 
that they cannot be secured. The float, however, remains at the surface, 
so that the successful hunter has only to paddle to it, take it into the 
canoe, and haul the seal on board. Perhaps the most curious part of the 
business lies in the skill with which the hunter carries the seal home. 
The boat in which he sits is entirely covered with skin, except a small 
aperture which admits his body, and yet he lays the body of the seal 
upon this slight platform, and manages to balance it as he paddles 
homeward, regardless of the waves upon which his light little canoe 
trembles like a cork. 

It is worthy of remark that war is totally unknown among the 
Esquimaux, who are perhaps the only people in the world who possess 
no war weapons, and have no desire to do so. Generally, when a savage 



THE ESQUIMAUX. 501 

obtains for the first time possession of fire-arms, lie uses them in war- 
fare, and by the superiority of his weapons raises himself to eminence. 
The Esquimau cares for none of these things. He is essentially a 
family man, and when he is fortunate enough to procure a musket he 
simply uses it for hunting purposes, never wasting the precious powder 
and lead upon the bodies of his fellow-men. Of fame he is totally 
ignorant, except that sort of local fame which is earned by skill in hunt- 
ing. He finds that all his energies are required to procure food and 
clothing for his household, and therefore he does not expend them upon 
any other object. 

The weapon which is to the Esquimau what the rifle is to the back- 
woodsman, the boomerang to the Australian, the sword to the Agageer, 
the lasso to the South American, and the sumpitan to the Dyak, is the 
harpoon, a weapon which undergoes various modifications, according to 
the use to which it is put, but is essentially the same in principle 

throughout. 

THE TYPICAL HARPOON. 

The first example is the typical harpoon. It consists of a long 
wooden shaft, with a float attached to it. Owing to the great scarcity of 
wood in Esquimaux land, the greater part being obtained from the 
casual drift-wood that floats ashore from wrecks, such a weapon is 
exceedingly valuable. The shaft is generally made of a number of 
pieces of wood lashed together in a most ingenious fashion 

The barbed head is but loosely fitted to the shaft, a hole in the base 
of the head receiviug a point at the end of the shaft. It is held in its 
place by leathern thongs, so arranged that, as soon as the wounded 
animal darts away, the shaft is shaken from the head. The arrangement 
of the leathern thongs varies according to the kind of weapon. The 
head of the harpoon is used for spearing the walrus. 

It is about nine inches in length, and is made of ivory, either that 
of the walrus or the narwhal, probably the former, as it partakes of the 
curve of the walrus tooth. It consists of two pieces, which we call, for 
convenience sake the body and the head. The upper part of the body 



502 THE ESQUIMAUX. 

is slightly pointed and rounded, and is meant to be fixed to the shaft of 
the harpoon. About an iuch aud a half from the end two holes are bored, 
through which is passed a double thong of leather about as thick as a 
goose quill. Next comes the head, which is a triangular and deeply 
barbed piece of ivory, armed with a thin, flat plate of iron. Through 
this head is bored a hole, and through the hole passes the loop of the 
double thong already mentioned. At the butt of the head there is a 
hole, into which is fitted the conical termination of the body. 

When the harpoon is hurled at the. walrus, the head penetrates 
through the tough skin, and, becoming disjointed from the body, sets at 
right angles across the little wound which it made on entering, and 
effectually prevents the weapon from being withdrawn. 

CAPTURING THE WALRUS. 

The line attached to the shaft of this harpoon is very long and of 
great strength, and, when the hunter goes out to catch walrus, is coiled 
round and round his neck in many folds, very slightly tied together so 
as to prevent the successive coils from being entangled with one another. 
When the hunter launches his harpoon with the right hand, he with the 
left hand simultaneously jerks the coils of rope off his neck, and throws 
them after the harpoon. The jerk snaps the slight ligatures, and the 
animal is "played" like a salmon by an angler, until it is utterly wearied 
with pain, loss of blood, and its struggles to escape, and can be brought 
near enough to receive the fatal wound from a spear. 

Casting off the rope in exact time is a most important business, as 
several hunters who have failed to do so have been caught in the coils of 
the rope, dragged under the ice, and there drowned. On the end of the 
harpoon line is worked a loop, and, as soon as the weapon is hurled, the 
hunter drives a spear deeply into the ice, slips the loop over it, and allows 
the walrus to struggle against the elastic rope until it is quite tired. He 
then hauls up the line until he has brought, the animal to the ice, 
snatches up his spear, and with it inflicts a mortal wound. 

One mode of employing this harpoon against the walrus is singu- 



THE ESQUIMAUX. 503 

larly ingenious. When the Esquimau hunters see a number of the 

animals sleeping on a sheet of ice, they look out for an ice fragment 

small enough to be moved, and yet large enough to support several men. 

Paddling to the ice, they lift their canoes upon it, bore holts in it, and 

make their harpoon lines fast to the holes. They then gently paddle 

the whole piece of ice, men, canoes, and all, to the spot where are lying 

the drowsy animals, who do not suspect any danger from a piece of ice 

floating by. 

Having made their selection, the hunters tell off two men to each 

walrus, and, at a given signal, all the harpoons are hurled. The whole 

herd instantly roll themselves into the sea, the wounded animals being 

attached to the piece of ice by the harpoon lines. The hunters allow 

them to tow their ice craft about until they are exhausted, when they 

launch their canoes, and kill the animals with their spears. As soon as 

the walrus is dead, the hunters plug up the holes with little pegs of 

ivory, for the purpose of preserving the blood, which is so highly valued 

by the Esquimaux. 

A SHAFT OF WOOD. 

The Esquimaux have another kind of spear. The shaft is made 
of wood, but the point and the barbed projections are of ivory. This 
spear is chiefly used for catching fish, and is flung by means of a 
throwing stick, almost in the same manner as the spears of the 
Australians. The throwing stick is made of wood, flattish, and near 
one end has a hole, into which the butt of the spear is passed. 
This is altogether a much slighter and lighter weapon than that 
which has been described. 

Bows and arrows are also employed by the Esquimaux. The former 
are made of horn, bone, or wood, and are almost always composed of 
several pieces lashed firmly together. As is the case with the bows of 
the North American tribes, the chief strength is obtained, not so much 
from the material of the bow, as from a vast number of sinew strings 
which run down its back. There are often a hundred or more of these 
sinews, which are put on sufficiently tight to give the bow a slight curva- 



504 THE ESQUIMAUX. 

ture against the string. The shape of the bow is rather peculiar. And 
though the weapon is so powerful, it is seldom used at a greater distance 
than twelve, or at most twenty yards. The length of the bow is on ar 
average three feet six inches. 

The arrows are extremely variable. Some have wooden shafts 
tipped with bone, but the shafts of the best specimens are half bone and 
half wood, and the points are armed with a little piece of iron. The 
arrows are contained in a quiver, and the bow is kept in a case. This 
quiver and bow-case are generally made of seal skin, as being impervious 
to wet, though they are frequently made of other materials. My own 
specimen is formed from the hide of the reindeer. When the Esquimai 
shoots, he always holds his bow horizontally. The bow-string is made o ' 
some fifteen or twenty sinew strings, which are loosely twisted, but not 
made into a cord. 

The bow and arrows are chiefly used in the capture of the reindeer 
and in shooting rabbits, birds, and other small game. The mode of deer 
hunting is very ingenious. When the hunter sees some deer feeding on 
the level plain, he takes his bow and arrows, draws his hood well over 
his head, and creeps as close as he can to the spot where the deer are 
reposing. Here he begins to bellow in imitation of the cry with which 
the deer call each other, and thus attracts the animals within the short 
distance at which an Esquimau archer shoots. 



